Lithuanian Naval Force

The Lithuanian Navy is the naval arm of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Though formally established on 1 August 1935 its roots stretch back as far as naval engagements on the Baltic Sea in the Medieval period. Lithuanian naval units saw some service with Soviet naval forces during World War II, and the navy has been re-established in its own right and continues to expand since Lithuania's independence in 1990.

After the declaration of independence on 11 March 1990, Lithuania had to re-establish its sovereignty as well as organize the state's defense system. From that time the units of the Lithuanian armed forces were formed. On 4 July 1992, the Lithuanian Navy was re-established. Juozapas Algis Leisis was appointed as commander of the Coast Guard Squadron.

In the fall of 1992, the Lithuanian Navy procured two Grisha-class corvettes, Zemaitis (F11) and Aukstaitis (F12). After the crew training period in June 1992 both corvettes participated in the international military exercise US Baltops 93. This was the beginning of the international cooperation of the Lithuanian Navy with other navies.

Another milestone in Lithuanian naval history was the establishment of the Sea Coastal Surveillance Company in 1993 which later was transformed into the Sea Coastal Surveillance Service. On 1 April 2004, Lithuania became an official member of the NATO alliance. Currently the Lithuanian naval forces are undergoing rapid modernization.