On December 8-10 the French patrol ship FS Commandant Blaison (F793) is conducting a port visit to Klaipėda. The brief call is conducted to replenish while the D'Estienne d'Orves-class vessel is in maneuvers in the Baltic Sea.
The frigate commanding officer Commander Schotkosky paid a visit to the Lithuanian Navy HQ were she was welcomed by the Commander of the Lithuanian Navy Captain (Navy) Tomas Skurdenis. The Allies exchanged views on the security situation in the Baltic Sea and maritime cooperation between the two nations.
The frigate has been commissioned with the French Navy since 1982. She is armed with Exocet MM38 anti-ship missiles, CADAM automatic 100 mm artillery gun, 20 mm machine-guns, submarine warfare torpedoes and 375 mm Bofors-type missiles. The ship can sail at the maximum speed of up to 23.5 kn (43.5 km/h) and has the range of up to 4500 nautical miles (approx. 8300 km). The ship is operated by a crew of approx. 90.
A year into independence, Lithuania hosted the first French warship FS Lieutenant de Vaisseau Le Henaft in Klaipėda.
Info credits: Lithuanian Navy
Photo credits: SCPO Tomas Donauskas and CPO Audrius Vitkauskas.
