On July 23 a deployment ceremony for LNS Skalvis (M53) MCM ship and a team of deminer divers from the Portuguese Navy took place at the Naval Flotilla before they leave for the international NATO Operation Brilliant Shield.
“The international operation Brilliant Shield is exceptional to us because LNS Sklavis will sail not just as part of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group but also a capability in the NATO Response Task Force. The d decision to form it was taken at the NATO Summit,” said Commander Lithuanian Navy Rear Admiral Giedrius Premeneckas and added that his crew and the Allies were “contributing to the common picture of security in Europe, while the ship and the crew are trained well and always demonstrate professionalism.”
Commander of the Portuguese underwater demining team Lt (Navy) Hugo Miguel praised the competence of Lithuanian Navy personnel and the high standard for the team. This is the first time a Portuguese team is assigned aboard a Lithuanian Navy ship. They will be replaced by Lithuanian divers in October.
“Our key focus is demining. We will monitor the undersea part, we have also seafloor clearing plans, the procedures will be conducted by the sappers. The flagship has the entitlement and duty of command, therefore as the commander I will formulate tasks for the Allies based on the suggestions of the Portuguese divers and possibility to conduct subsurface work in concrete depths,” said Commanding Officer of LNS Skalvis (M53) Lt (Navy) Andrius Narbutas about the course of the international operation and cooperation with the Allies.
LNS Skalvis will train in the international maneuvers and naval demining operations in the Baltic, North Seas by the costs of Norway, United Kingdom and Ireland alongside other NATO Allies (Belgium, Netherlands, Canada, Germany). The unit will be under command of a German naval officer. LNS Skalvis will be on duty for five months and return in December.
Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 takes part in the long-term NATO Operation Brilliant Shield since 2023. The operation is aimed to strengthen the eastern flank with additional Allied naval, maritime surveillance and air defence capabilities.
Photo credits: PO3 A. Bertulė
