On February 19 and 20 Concept Development Conference of the multinational mine countermeasures operation Open Spirit 2013 was held at the Headquarters of the Lithuanian Navy in Klaipėda. At the workshop initial points of the multinational operation planning were discussed by Danish, Estonian, U.S., Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Dutch and German representatives.
The multinational mine countermeasures operation Open Spirit 2013 will take place from August 19 to 29 in the exclusive economic zone and territorial waters of Lithuania in the Baltic Sea. The operation is planned to involve warships and diving teams from 10 countries.
The main objectives of Open Spirit 2013 are to reduce the threat caused by naval mines and other explosive devices remaining on the Baltic seafloor from World War I, World War II and interwar period. The operation is also aimed at enhancing skills of ship screws, staff officers and command, and at improving interoperability of the naval units involved in the operation.
Last naval operation of such scope took place in the exclusive economic zone and territorial waters of Lithuania in August and September of 2010. During Open Spirit 2010 warships of 10 countries surveyed approximately 300 km2 of seafloor, detected and neutralised 7 explosive devices (naval mines, torpedoes, one depth bomb, etc.), detected and included into a seafloor database 36 anchors of naval mines and 187 other objects.
POC: CIMIC Officer of the Lithuanian Navy Lt (N) Antanas Brencius, phone no. 00370 46 391 207, cell phone no. 00370 698 18 196.
Photos by Lt (N) Antanas Brencius and Alfredas Pliadis
