Latvian Navy organise military exercise Baltic Fortress 2022
From 23 to 29 May, the Navy will hold the annual military exercise Baltic Fortress 22 on the Kurzeme coast of the Baltic Sea.
The Latvian Navy's headquarters and supply ship A-90 "Varonis", patrol vessels P-06 "Cēsis" and P-08 "Jelgava", the Diving Team, the Automated Underwater Robotics Group, the State Border Guard vessel RK-20 "Rānda" and cutter RK-30, as well as the Lithuanian Navy vessel "Selis" will participate in the exercise. The Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) will include the Latvian Navy's minelayers M-05 "Viesturs" and M-06 "Tālivaldis", the Lithuanian Navy's "Jotvingis" and the Estonian Navy's "Admiral Cowan".
The Baltic Fortress 2022 exercise also involves students of the International Naval Command and Staff Officers' Course at the intermediate level, who are currently studying military studies at the Latvian National Defence Academy. While on board Baltic military vessels, the students are given the opportunity to learn the specifics of international naval exercises, reinforcing the theoretical knowledge acquired at the Academy on planning, preparing and organising naval operations.
Baltic Fortress units are developing their ability to perform tasks in crisis operations and training Baltic military ship crews, including practical testing of standard battle procedures at sea, increasing combat readiness of ship personnel and improving their ability to perform duties in Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One (SNMCMG1).
"Baltic Fortress has been running since 2008 and is a joint exercise of the Baltic navies as part of BALTRON. It is organised annually by one of the three Baltic States on a rotational basis. This year, Latvia is organising the exercise and next year Estonia will host it.
BALTRON is one of the longest-running Baltic cooperation projects and has been running since August 1998. The aim of this cooperation format is to ensure a permanent rapid response capability at sea in peacetime and in times of crisis. The first BALTRON Commander was Sea Captain Ilmārs Lešinskis of the Latvian Navy.
