Lithuania has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Norway pledging cooperation in its standardised multirole warship programme.
The MoU was signed at last week’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye. It paves the way for the Baltic state to strengthen its naval industry, upgrade its technical capabilities, and ultimately build and acquire its own vessels to the same design.
As per a statement from Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence, the ships will potentially replace the Lithuanian Navy’s existing platforms after 2030. Its warships are reaching the end of their operational life; most of its vessels are between 32 and 48 years old.
The MoU with Norway is non-binding but sets out guidelines for cooperation. More precise procurement agreements and costs are expected to follow in later agreements following further negotiations.
Lithuania’s Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas commented: “We are not just talking acquisition of modern vessels. First and foremost, we are talking a long-term enhancement of resilience of the Lithuanian maritime defence industry, technological competencies and supply chains.
“We will work to engage Lithuanian companies in real shipbuilding, system integration, servicing and maintenance works.”
The Royal Norwegian Navy and Coast Guard is planning to acquire up to 28 new large and medium-sized standardised vessels: a mixture of 90-metre oceangoing boats and 55-metre vessels optimised for littoral operations.
The new boats will feature integrated and modular weapon and sensor systems and share the ability to interact with allies and with autonomous/uncrewed systems.
Potential mission sets include coastal and air defence tasks using the NASAMS system, surface warfare, C2, drone deployment and counter-drone defence, electronic warfare, reconnaissance, fire support for land forces, mine-laying and mine countermeasures, maritime patrol, and protection of critical undersea infrastructure (CUI).
At the end of March this year a partnership between Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Salt Ship Design was chosen to design the Norwegian Armed Forces’ new standardized vessel class.
As per a Forsvarmateriell (FMA) — Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency — press statement, the ships “will be based to the greatest extent possible on civilian standards and commercially available technology, following the principle of as civilian as possible, as military as necessary.”
The agreed schedule calls for design work to be completed by the end of this year, with a six-month construction tendering process ending in spring 2027, and the building programme to begin as soon as possible after that. Delivery of the first vessel in the programme is earmarked for 2030.
- You can read more details on the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence website and more about the standardised vessels on the FMA website
