NATO conducts massive "Neptune Strike" exercises in Lithuanian waters

The Baltic republic of Lithuania is hosting the ongoing Neptune Strike exercises, involving both its own forces and NATO allies, within its territorial waters and airspace, the Lithuanian Armed Forces confirmed.

“During these exercises, Navy ships and Air Force aircraft, together with allied forces, will conduct coordinated training operations in Lithuanian territorial waters and the skies above,” the armed forces statement said, as per foreign media.

Local authorities in the coastal town of Palanga have cautioned residents that they may hear explosions during the exercises.

First conceived in 2020, the Neptune Strike series is designed to demonstrate NATO’s ability to rapidly integrate high-end maritime strike capabilities, strengthen deterrence, and secure critical sea lanes. The current iteration follows NEPTUNE STRIKE 25-2, held in July–August, continuing to test interoperability across air, land, and sea while safeguarding strategic maritime chokepoints.

The exercise is led by US Vice Admiral Jeffrey T. Anderson and the Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) headquartered in Oeiras, Portugal. It features a NATO Carrier Strike Group along with numerous naval and amphibious assets under alliance command.

Key participants include the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the Turkish amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu L-400, the Italian landing ship ITS San Giorgio L 9892, and the US command-and-control ship USS Mount Whitney LCC/JCC 20. Additional contributions come from destroyers, frigates, submarines, and aircraft representing Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Turkiye, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Operational activities encompass carrier-based air missions, amphibious landings in southern Italy, submarine patrols, surface warfare exercises, and a mass-casualty drill. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is conducting operations in the North Sea, while multinational task groups carry out joint missions in the Baltic and Mediterranean.

The Turkish Anadolu Task Group, comprising the TCG Anadolu L-400, TCG Gökova F-496 frigate, TCG Heybeliada F-511 corvette, and TCG I. İnönü S-360 submarine, participates under NATO’s Neptune Strike framework. The Turkish Ministry of National Defence previously designated this formation the “Open Sea Task Group” when it trained with the Spanish Amphibious Task Group off the coast of Antalya in April 2024.

NATO emphasised that these exercises are long-planned, strictly defensive, and fully compliant with international law.

By Tamilla Hasanova