On June 13 closing ceremony of the multinational Exercise BALTOPS 2012 took place at the Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Motorised Infantry Battalion in Klaipėda. "Dear soldiers, I would like to thank you for the efforts and personal input that each of You have dedicated to achieve the main goals of the Exercise. And the lessons learned will help the capabilities responsible for the security in the region to be ready to respond rapidly and efficiently to future challenges", said Chief of Defence Lt Gen Arvydas Pocius in his address in the closing ceremony.
The Exercise held on land and in the territorial waters of Lithuania of the Baltic Sea involved more than 600 troops from Lithuania, U.S.A. and the Netherlands and NATO staff officers. Ships, aircraft and military personnel from 7 NATO countries - Estonia, U.S.A., Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Germany - conducted the first amphibious landing operation in the history of Lithuania.
"I am strongly convinced that this wide range training was a step forward in terms of building the effectiveness of international military cooperation and interoperability in responding to crises in the Baltic Region," said Lt Gen A. Pocius.
"Through hard work, detailed planning, sweat and determination we have proven our maritime partnership in the Baltic Sea", Deputy Commander of BALTOPS 2012 Combined Force Land Component Command and Senior U.S. Officer of BALTOPS 2012 in Lithuania Col Darren Richardson thanked all the Lithuanian civilian and military members of BALTOPS 2012 for generous support and hospitality in the Exercise.
"I would like to thank our Lithuanian hosts for their wonder hospitality. The professionalism of the Lithuanian Armed Forces has been outstanding and you have made us feel at home. We are very happy to be in Klaipėda and a part of this outstanding Exercise," said the U.S. Black Sea Rotational Force Commanding Officer Lt Col Rick Coates in his closing address.
Leadership of the Exercise awarded symbolic BALTOPS 2012 coins to Lithuanian and allied civilian and military participants of the Exercise.
The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the municipalities of Klaipėda District, commanders of foreign units, commanders of the branches of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and commands, and other honorable guests.
The total of 12 countries - U.S.A., Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, France, Denmark, Poland, the Netherlands, Georgia, Russia and Sweden - contribute their military personnel and assets to the nearly two-week long Exercise held in the territorial waters of Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia in the Baltic Sea. The final closing ceremony of BALTOPS 2012 will be held in Kiel, Germany, on June 16.
Multinational cooperation in case of a crisis in the region is enhanced and security in the Baltic Sea region fostered in BALTOPS 2012. During the Exercise military forces will conduct joint maritime operations from maneuvering and patrolling to joint operations with other forces - air and land.
USA first organised the naval exercise BALTOPS in 1972. Since 1993 the series has been held under the Partnership for Peace program. Over four decades BALTOPS grew both in number of participating forces and in magnitude becoming one of the largest training events in the Baltic Region. Lithuania has been sending naval assets to take part in BALTOPS since 1994.
Photos by Lina Ambroževičiūtė
