Baltic states conclude five-day Baltic Bikini air force exercise

VILNIUS - A five-day international air force exercise involving Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, dubbed Baltic Bikini 2026, concluded on Friday.

This year's drills were organised by the Latvian Air Force.

The active phase of the exercise took place in the Baltic Sea, simulating scenarios aircrews might face following an emergency water landing. Crews practised safely evacuating aircraft and deploying life-saving equipment.

The primary objective of the exercise is to improve individual and collective water survival skills, enhancing aircrew endurance after a ditching at sea until rescue arrives. Flight personnel are required to undergo such water survival training every three years.

The international Baltic Bikini exercises were launched in 1999 as part of a search and rescue cooperation agreement between Lithuania and Denmark.

Initial training took place in Denmark, where Baltic military personnel were provided with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to survive and escape after an emergency landing on water.

Since 2004, the Baltic states have organised the drills independently, rotating the host nation between Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia each year.

According to the military, Baltic Bikini strengthens cooperation and interoperability among military units of the Baltic states.