From August 20 to 29 the Baltic Naval Squadron BALTRON will conduct exercise SQEX II/12 in the territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone of Lithuania in the Baltic Sea. The training event will involve five warships: mine countermeasures ships M52 "Sūduvis", M53 "Skalvis" and M54 "Kuršis" of the Lithuanian Navy, supply ship of the Latvian Navy A53 "Virsaitis", and mine countermeasures ship of the Estonian Navy M313 "Admiral Cowan".
During SQEX II/12 search for naval mines and other explosives remaining after World War I and World War II operations will be conducted in designated areas. BALTRON will also undergo evaluation according to the NATO Maritime Evaluation Programme (MAREVAL) and in line with NATO's doctrines and set standards.
SQEX II/12 is also a preparation event for the participation in the multinational military exercise DANEX-NOCO 12 to be held in the western part of the Baltic Sea from September 1 to 12.
MAREVAL will be conducted during the exercise in the Lithuanian waters by Lithuanian and Latvian naval officers who underwent training and certification by NATO instructors as early as 2011. Ships of naval forces undergo MAREVAL before stand-by periods in the NATO Response Force or/and deployment with NATO units.
The Baltic Naval Squadron BALTRON was established in 1998, it includes warships from the Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian Navies and a multinational staff manned by the respective navies. One of the primary missions of BALTRON is search and destruction of the mines and undetonated ammunition remaining on the Baltic seafloor from World War I and World War II.
BALTRON ships are assigned to the unit for a six-month duty period while staff officers serve for one year.
Lithuania assigned mine countermeasures ship M52 "Sūduvis" to conduct duty in the unit In the second half of 2012. The six-month service period in the first half of 2012 was accomplished by mine countermeasures ship M54 "Kuršis". Currently Lt (N) Egidijus Oleškevičius as Chief of the Joint Headquarters represents Lithuania in the BALTRON Staff.
LITHNAVY CIMIC Representative Lt (N) Antanas Brencius, office phone number 00370 46 391 207, cell phone number 00370 698 18 196.
Photos of LITHANVY archive
