Baltic Naval Forces participate in the Baltron Squadex 2023 exercise

From 21 to 26 August, the Baltic Sea Squadron (BALTRON) military exercise "Baltron Squadex 2023" will take place in the Latvian territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.

The aim of the exercise is to promote military cooperation between the Baltic navies, to facilitate cooperation between the countries in minehunting operations and to improve the knowledge of personnel.

The Latvian Navy's staff and supply ship A-90 "Varonis", which is currently serving as BALTRON headquarters, the staff and supply ship A-53 "Virsaitis" and the patrol ship P-07 "Viesīte" are participating in the exercise.  The Lithuanian Navy will be represented by the staff and supply ship N42 "Jotvingis", the minelayer M53 "Skalvis" and the patrol ship P12 "Dzukas".

On 26 August, a memorial ceremony and laying of flowers will be held at the gravesite of the first BALTRON commander, Navy Captain Ilmārs Lešinskis, at the Forest Cemetery in Riga. At the end of the exercise, the ships will dock at the Riga Passenger Port to participate in the 25th anniversary celebrations of BALTRON.

This year, BALTRON units have participated in several military exercises, including Open Spirit 2023, Aurora 2023, Baltops 2023 and others.

BALTRON was established in August 1998 to provide a permanent rapid response capability at sea in times of peace and crisis. 

The Baltic States deploy BALTRON ships on a rotational basis for six to 12 months, forming a detachment of two minesweepers and a headquarters and supply ship. The ships of the squadron take part in maritime mine clearance operations and military exercises to improve maritime safety in the Baltic Sea, as well as in search and rescue operations.

BALTRON's commander is Latvian Navy Captain Commander Jānis Auce.