On November 24 through December 4 Finland hosted multinational Exercise Freezing Winds 2025 in the Gulf of Finland. Lithuania’s MCM LNS Skalvis (M53) and Shallow Water Diving Team of the General Kazimieras Nestoras Sapiega Fusilier Battalion were deployed to the training.
Freezing Winds 2025 is the main maritime drills conducted by the Finnish Navy to rehearse regional defence plans execution, enhance Allied interoperability and test joint maritime capabilities. It is also a certification exercise for the continuous mandatory initial military service troops with the Finnish Navy. The exercise trained coastal defence, air and maritime reconnaissance tasks, and assault deterrence.
The Lithuanian Fusiliers fell in subordination of the Scouts Company of the Coastal Brigade, Finnish Navy. They conducted round-the-clock live fire training, met and guarded the visiting Chief of Defence of Lithuania. Other training highlights: reconnaissance, infiltration and exfiltration with Finnish Watercat (M12) craft, pedestrian area reconnaissance, UAV area reconnaissance, fixed OP guard, tactical medicine.
The exercise training audience included approx. 5 thousand personnel and approx. 20 combat and support vessels from Finland, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and the U.S., also, Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1).
Photo credit: Lithuanian Navy
