Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 The Baltic Naval Squadron BALTRON By Juozas ALSAUSKAS, Commander Lithuanian Navy, Commander of BALTRON he three Baltic States - Estonia, tablishment of the BALTRON. On 28 accordance with the United Nations Char- T Latvia, Lithuania began military co- August BALTRON was inaugurated. Bal- ter. operation in the defence area shortly af- tic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) is a per- It is noted as a precondition for plan- ter regaining independence. The defence- manently established tri-national standing ning and implementation of BALTRON related co-operation has resulted in four Naval Force with mine-countermeasures activities that BALTRON will train and military projects such as BALBAT, capabilities. The operational task of act in accordance with NATO/PfP naval BALTNET, BALTDEFCOL and BALTRON is to counter mine threats, to and staff procedures, both in the fleet and BALTRON. The idea to establish a joint reduce environmental damage in the ter- in the staff. The command and commu- naval unit was brought up in 1995. The ritorial waters and economic zones of the nication language is English, and same year started the first trilateral Baltic Baltic States and to enhance the security BALTRON activities apply relevant naval exercise AMBER SEA-95. In the end of peacetime seagoing. It is the priority NATO/PfP procedures and standards. of 1996 the practical preparations for the of the project to contribute to the devel- BALTRON project were launched, and opment of the national naval forces and Activities Germany undertook the role as the lead- to raise the self-defence capabilities of the ing nation in the international co-ordi- Baltic States and to develop interchange- BALTRON reached its first operational nation of the project. In April 16 1998 ability with NATO/PfP forces. milestone in September 1998 when the the Ministers of Defence of the Republic Another aspiration is to have a capa- squadron as a multinational naval unit of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania signed bility for participation in multinational participated in the international mine the formal agreement concerning the es- peace support operations conducted in countermeasures exercise OPEN SPIRIT- 33 Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 98. The main goals of exercise were to BALTRON staff was involved in tasking serves for six months at a time. Currently allow BALTRON forces to familiarise and monitoring the situation, command- squadron is composed of Staff and Sup- themselves wit NATO procedures and to ers briefings and message drafting, prepa- ply ship LNS Vetra (Lithuanian Navy bring BALTRON communications up to ration and conducting pre-sail and post- ship), minesweepers ENS Kalev (Estonian NATO levels. exercise briefings. The co-operation of Navy ship) and LVNS Imanta (Latvian During exercise U.S. BALTOPS-99 (an BALTRON and MCMFN was a very valu- Navy ship). At the same time BALTRON American invitational multinational mari- able experience both for the ships and ships also remain integral parts of national time exercise conducted in the Baltic re- for the staff as well. navies of the Baltic States. At the moment gion) BALTRON staff was working in 1999 was first full year of operations BALTRON units have been dismissed to multinational staff shoulder to shoulder for BALTRON. BALTRON conducted national bases for the crew change, ship with naval officers from Poland, Germany, activities aimed to prepare for stated aims. maintenance and crew rest. In accordance UK and Norway due to improve overall Beside preparations for main tasks, very with the Annual BALTRON activities plan co-ordination and understanding. So the important was the presence of the Naval for year 2000 the force will be collected issuing orders and reporting has followed forces of the Baltic States in the Baltic again in Liepaja on the 20 of March and NATO standards and procedures. Sea, promotion of the NATO integration will continue their duties. Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Exer- process and optimised use of resources. The BALTRON staff has started work cise PAS SEX- 99 between BALTRON and 1999 was difficult year but at the same October 1997 in Tallinn. The staff is fully Mine Countermeasures Force North-west- time it gave to all Baltic Navies first expe- operational since April 1998 and consists ern Europe (MCMFN) based on request rience in operating the combined squad- of the following positions: Chief of staff, from Baltic States to NATO was used to ron during around the year. Operations officer, Communications create the framework for tasking of ships Officer and Public Relation Officer. Com- in order to facilitate procedural and tac- Structure and Composition mander BALTRON and staff officers are tical training. Prior to sailing BALTRON appointed for a period of at least 12 staff was embarked on a NATO staff ship. BALTRON is comprised of a com- months. Currently the staff is organised Tasking authority for all participants were bined tri-national staff and national ships as an operational staff without the admin- Commander MCMFN and Commander from three Baltic Naves. Each nation pro- istrative capacity and it is designed to BALTRON. During actual exercise vides 1-2 vessels. Each ship in the force operate on board a Staff ship. During 34 Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 the winter phase BALTRON staff organ- it can detect mine like objects. When it BARANOVA. On May 1999 she gradu- ised more extensive staff planning using find a mine, a remote controlled robot is ated from the United States Naval Acad- on-shore facility located at the Estonian submerged in the water and places an ex- emy in Annapolis with degree in Marine Naval base. Also staff can use on temporary plosive on the mine to detonate it. Engineering and the rank of Sublieuten- basis other naval facilities in the Baltic States Two minehunters are in service with ant. Since June 1999, she has been serving as agreed in the annual activity plan. the Baltic States (LVNS Namejs and LNS in BALTRON. In this period she took Suduvis). These vessels are equipped with part in exercises OPEN SPIRIT-99, AM- BALTRON Units a modem mine detection and classifica- BER SEA -99 and MCOPLAT-99. For this tion system. Their crews have been exten- last operation she worked as staff officer The force employs two basic types of sively trained in Germany prior to the on the Task Group staff. ships (donation of Germany) to clear ships arriving in Latvia and Lithuania. Elvira BARANOVA tells that there is a mines: minesweeper and mine hunter. The During exercise MCMOPLAT-99 LVNS big difference between the organisation minesweeper methodically travels back Namejs impressed every one by finding and function of the US Navy and the and forth across an area at the sea, drag- and disposing of the first mine in the Estonian Navy. The differences come from ging a buoy that cuts the cord from any entire operation. the size of the state, the economic and mines that are anchored on the sea floor. political situation, the geographical loca- The mine floats to the surface of the sea Personnel tion, and the historical background. How- where it can be seen and detonated. The ever, the basics are the same in virtually minesweeper also deals with influence Our Navies are very young, and are any modern military: the military disci- mines by simulating acoustic and mag- working hard to establish themselves in pline, the leadership principles, task per- netic fields of shipping with a towed so- the new environment. There are a lot of formance standards, etc. The training con- lenoid. The minesweepers operating with young officers coming back from differ- ducted during the four years in Annapolis BALTRON (FRAUENLOB and ent countries naval schools and academies, instilled a good sense of all that, plus it KONDOR class ships) are considered in- who are willing to use what they have was an outstanding stress management shore sweepers. learned to help the progress. One of such workshop. It also helped to attain a very The minehunter (LINDAU class) officers is the Executive Officer of the broad view of the worlds militaries. searches ahead with the sonar with which Estonian Navy ship OLEV Elvira Knowing the differences between various 35 Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 navies and having the chance to see how • Training of the personnel, units and • Communications operators, techni- things are done and organised elsewhere squadron during deployment to cians and instructors training in Danish helps to get new ideas for own young navy. BALTRON. Signal School; Sublieutenant BARANOVA insists that Training provided by sending nations: • Specialized Damage Control train- being the only female in the squadron is Each sending nation is responsible for ing in German Navy damage Control tough at times, but at the same time it is a the preparation of its national units (per- school. This training involves firefighting, good opportunity for her colleagues to get sonnel and ships) assigned to BALTRON. shoring and rescue at sea. used to the thought that there will be more National units must be fully operational • Divers training in Norway. women actively involved in sailing and mine for the time of assignment. It is expected Training conducted during deploy- warfare. Having women as part of the ships that person joining BALTRON be trained ment to the squadron. company is a common thing in the US to perform assigned duties. For a ship, it During deployment to the squadron Navy now. For the Estonian Navy, how- is expected to be trained up to conduct training is executed mainly on squadron ever, it is a new experience, as in fact it is all assigned tasks on unit level and be ca- level in order to prepare the squadron to in Latvian Navy and Lithuanian Navy.