The USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), the largest warship ever to visit Lithuania, docked at the port of Klaipėda on Saturday, the US embassy in Vilnius said.
“@USSKearsarge (LHD 3), flagship of @22nd_meuin, largest military ship to ever visit #Lithuania, arrived in #Klaipeda port early in the morning today,” the embassy tweeted on Saturday.
“It is here to demonstrate US unity & solidarity w/ Lithuania & other #NATO allies. It will be @portofklaipeda1until 08/23.”
.@USSKearsarge (LHD 3), flagship of @22nd_meuin, largest military ship to ever visit #Lithuania, arrived in #Klaipėda port early in the morning today. It is here to demonstrate 🇺🇸 unity & solidarity w/ 🇱🇹 & other #NATO allies. It will be @portofklaipeda1 until 08/23. #USinLT pic.twitter.com/tMPF8JzBL9
— U.S. Embassy Vilnius (@USEmbVilnius) August 20, 2022
An official welcoming ceremony for the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, the flagship of the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit, is scheduled for Monday.
Kearsarge is a 257.3-metre-long, 60.1-metre-wide vessel and has a draft of 10.5 meters. The ship has a crew of more than 2,000, but up to 1,500 crew members are on board at a time.
Vilnius is seeking a permanent and continuous presence of American troops in the region in various forms.
Currently, the fifth US heavy battalion with Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles is deployed in Pabradė, close to Vilnius. US troops regularly participate in exercises in Lithuania.
The arrival of the USS Kearsarge demonstrates the US commitment and leadership in ensuring security in the Baltic region, Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said in the port city on Monday.
“Their presence here today in the port of Klaipėda, at a time when Russia’s horrific aggression against the people of Ukraine continues, demonstrates the US commitment and leadership in ensuring security in the Baltic region and, of course, in the Baltic Sea,” Anušauskas told reporters before his visit to the ship.
“As we see the changing security situation around us on NATO’s eastern border and threats to the entire democratic world, the presence of our ally here and the determination to defend every inch of NATO member states’ territory is of great importance to Lithuania and its people,” he said.
Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupšys said the ship’s visit is proof that NATO is beefing up its eastern flank in all dimensions.
“This is the first time since the re-establishment of the [Lithuanian] Navy that a US warship of this type and impressive size has come here,” Rupšys said.
“We hear that NATO is strengthening its eastern flank in all dimensions, including the maritime one, in response to the security situation, and behind my back we see tangible proof of this – a guarantor of unity and defence,” he added.
According to the chief of defence, the US is one of Lithuania’s strongest allies.
“Their support is vital and, I’d say, the most important,” he said.
Robert S. Gilchrist, the US ambassador to Lithuania, said Kearsarge has been in the Baltic Sea for several months now and has taken part in the Baltops exercise.
The ship’s presence in Klaipėda is “a demonstration of the US commitment made at the Madrid summit by President Biden to enhance our security contributions in the Baltic region and across Europe”, the ambassador said.
“Our commitment and NATO commitment is not only about land territory, but also about the Baltic Sea, which is a corridor for commerce, shipping and defence,” he said.
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