Lithuanian Navy Gets Its First Brand New Boat

Since regaining independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, much of its military equipment has come used, from other nations. Having to rebuild its economy and transition away from Soviet structures, there was indeed very little money to go around – and so the small Baltic nation has had to rely on donations and the purchase of pre-owned equipment – including ships for its Navy.

But, for the first time since regaining independence, Lithuania has taken delivery of a brand new ship. 

On May 12th, the inauguration and christening ceremony of the new tugboat H-24 took place at the Klaipėda Cruise Ship Terminal. The brand new port tugboat, built by the Dutch company DAMEN is based on the ASD 3010 class project.

This boat has been christened “Lokys” – which means ‘bear’ in Lithuanian.

Deputy Minister of National Defence Karolis Aleksa had THIS to say during the ceremony:

“The geographical location of the Klaipėda Seaport and its importance to both economic and our national security interests is enormous, therefore we must devote the necessary attention and resources to the Lithuanian Navy. We clearly see and understand the threats, therefore we are developing and will continue to develop maritime capabilities, and the brand new H24 port tug is just one example,” 

Commander of the Navy, Flotilla Admiral Giedrius Premeneckas, stated:

“For the first time in the history of independent Lithuania, the Navy has received a completely new ship. This ship is built according to our requirements, coordinating all structural details with the Navy specialists who worked on this ship. It is a special feeling, I believe that this day opens a new era for the Navy. In the near future, the Navy will receive two new attack boats. We are also very optimistic about the future regarding the acquisition of new multifunctional patrol ships and we hope that these capabilities will contribute to the protection of the Lithuanian state border at sea and the territorial waters of Lithuania,” 

The Defense Resources Agency under the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania signed its contract with “Damen” for the new port tugboat on August 2nd 2024. The transaction amount was 10.8 million euros. 

The new Navy port tug, with a length of almost 30m, a width of about 10m, has a total tonnage of over 300 tons, and a speed of up to 13 knots.

It will be able to carry out all types of port operations – if necessary, to tow not only Lithuanian military ships, but also larger-tonnage military ships of NATO allies that arrive at the port of Klaipėda.  Beyond towing, the boat can also be deployed for rescue, pollution elimination, firefighting and maritime security operations. It will be a universal tool that will significantly strengthen the daily and extreme capabilities of the Navy at sea. The tug’s crew will consist of 8 professional military service soldiers.