Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas stated, "By acquiring this harbour tug, Lithuania strengthens its position as a maritime nation and provides the necessary operational capabilities to the Navy."
Commander of the Lithuanian Navy Rear Admiral Giedrius Premeneckas added, "The acquisition of the harbour tug will significantly contribute to the Lithuanian Navy's ability to perform various tasks. This includes a wide range of missions related to host nation support for visiting allied ships and reinforcement movement through the Port of Klaipėda, ensuring port security, and supporting the execution of tasks by the naval fleet and other units in the Navy.
It is noteworthy that the harbour tug will be the first newly built vessel to be included in the Naval Flotilla. Previous acquisition projects involved obtaining and modernising vessels from NATO countries to suit the needs of the Lithuanian Navy."
Damen Sales Manager Justin Rietveld said, “It is a great honour for us to sign the contract with the Lithuanian Defence Materiel Agency for the construction and delivery of a new ASD Tug for the Lithuanian Navy. Damen takes great pride in serving the needs of its naval partners around the world. The Damen ASD 3010 is a well proven design and very capable to serve the needs of Lithuanian Navy, both in terms of tug capabilities as well as performance in ice conditions.
The large open working deck allows the vessel to carry out a wide range of activities, such as firefighting, towing targets, assisting in pollution control and other operations as specified in the technical requirements. We are confident that the ASD is a great fit with the operational need of Lithuanian armed forces. This project holds significant importance to us, and it will mark the commencement of a long and prosperous partnership together. We all look forward to a successful project and delivery of the vessel to the Lithuanian Navy in the first half of next year.”
The signing ceremony was also attended by the Ambassador of the Netherlands, Jack Twiss Quarles van Ufford.
