On June 5-22 the largest maritime exercise in the Baltic Sea Operation BALTOPS 2024 will take place. Over 30 Allied warships with crews of over 4 thousand total of seamen, marines, naval aviation and other navy specialist personnel will be piered in Klaipėda over the period from June 4 to 7. The Lithuanian Navy will host the Pre-Sail Conference in Lithuanian for the second time, with participation of Chief of Defence General V. Rupšys, Commander U.S. 6th Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces Vice Admiral Thomas E. Ishee, and Commander Lithuanian Navy Rear Admiral G. Premeneckas.
BALTOPS 2024 will be the largest drills to take place in the Baltic Sea to date with its impressive 9000 military participants and over 50 warships and 45 aircraft delegated by 20 NATO Allies: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, United Kingdom, U.S., Romania, and Greece. The drills is organized by the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa / U.S. Sixth Fleet while command and control is provide by the NATO Striking and Support Forces (STRIKFORNATO).
The training operation will hone maritime formation maneuvers, ship convoy, fire support, aircraft defence, mine hunting and sweeping, anti-submarine warfare, amphibious landing and other operational skills. The tactical phase in the Baltic Sea on June 7-22 will include two Lithuanian Navy ships, Skalvis (M53) and Aukštaitis (P14) patrol ship. The Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) under command of Lt Cdr Karolis Lileikis (Lithuanian Navy). Lithuania has been training in BALTOPS annually since 1993.
