The multinational naval mine clearance exercise „Open Spirit 2010"ongoing from August 27 in the territorial waters and exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Lithuanian in the Baltic Sea have already resulted in finding 7 explosives (torpedoes, naval mines, depth bombs, etc.) and over 30 naval mine anchors in the already surveyed area of 85 sq. nautical miles (around 300 sq. km).
On September 7 Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė, Chief of Defence of Lithuanian Armed Forces Maj Gen Arvydas Pocius, Commander-in-Chief of the Lithuanian Naval Force Adm (R) Kęstutis Macijauskas, commanders of other branches of the national armed forces, Military Attachés in Lithuania of states participating in the exercise, and media representatives will take part in the visitors' day of „Open Spirit 2010". Participants of the visitors' day will observe neutralisation of explosives and parade of participant ships on the sea from onboard a warship.
„Open Spirit 2010" organised by the Lithuanian Naval Force will be closed on September 8.
„Open Spirit" is the largest naval training event Lithuania has been hosting since 2008. Ten countries - Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Norway, France, Russia, Finland and Germany - sent sixteen warships and three underwater teams to take part in the exercise. Lithuania is represented by three ships - mine hunter and sweeper „Sūduvis" (M52) and patrol ships „Žemaitis" (P11) and „Aukštaitis" (P14).
The aim of „Open Spirit 2010" is to reduce the threat caused to safe navigation by naval mines and other unexploded ammunition remaining on the Baltic seafloor from WWI and WWII. The event also boosts trust and cooperation among participating countries, and improves skills of participating ship crews, staff officers and leadership.
PIC - PR Officer of the Lithuanian Naval Force Lt Col A. Brencius, cell phone 00370 698 181 96.
Picture by LNF