The maritime Task Group is in constant contact with the Lithuanian Navy and exchange information. Cooperation with the Lithuanian Navy improves interoperability and strengthens the maritime presence in the central Baltic Sea region.
The Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (M) consisting of the flagship, German frigate Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Dutch frigate De Zeven Provincien, Italian destroyer Caio Duilio and the Latvian minesweeper Virsaitis, is securing this year’s NATO summit in Vilnius on the sea side.
In the run-up to the summit, NATO has deployed one of its VJTF Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (M) deployment associations to protect the NATO summit from 11 to 12. July in Vilnius.
The maritime emergency will patrol along the Lithuanian Baltic Sea coast to monitor the lake and air space of the central Baltic Sea. The German flagship, the frigate “Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, is leading the Task Group.
In particular, the Dutch frigate De Zeven Provincien, which has been optimised for overwater lake warfare and the Italian destroyer Caio Duilio, contribute with their capabilities to ensure airspace monitoring over the Baltic Sea region. Equipped with powerful radars, the frigates are able to detect air and overwater contacts over long distances. By creating the image of location, they make an important contribution to the comprehensive security of the NATO summit.
“Based on our experience, which we have gained during the last months of its use in the Baltic Sea, the Association of the Forces is very well qualified to identify unusual activities at an early stage. If necessary, we are able to react quickly with the entire spectrum of maritime operations, thereby contributing to the security of the NATO summit,” concluded the association leader Flottillen Admiral Thorsten Marx.