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The Lithuanian mine countermeasures ship Skavius and Portuguese naval engineers set sail on Tuesday to take part in NATO’s Operation Shining Shield, BNS reports.
The Lithuanian ship left the port of Klaipeda and will join the first group of NATO mine-warfare vessels for a period of five months.
For the first time in the history of the Lithuanian Navy, a team of six engineers from a foreign ally Portugal will board a mine defense ship, the Lithuanian Armed Forces noted.
They will work alongside the Lithuanian sailors until October, when the Portuguese will be replaced by Lithuanian engineers.
Since last year, NATO’s reserve mine countermeasures ships have been participating in NATO’s long-term “Glorious Shield” operation.
One of the goals of the operation is to strengthen the North Atlantic Alliance’s eastern flank by increasing naval power, maritime surveillance and air defense capabilities.
The operation was conducted in the Baltic and North Seas, around Norway, the United Kingdom and the Irish islands.
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