On Wednesday, 11th April, patrol vessel "VIESITE” launching and  name giving ceremony will take place in Riga.


"P-07 Viesite" is the first Latvian completely built warship and the third of a total of five such patrol vessels for Navy flotilla to be delivered by 2014. Patrol vessel is 25 meters long and 13 meters wide. Her maximum allowable speed is 20 knots and she accommodates eight persons of the vessel’s crew.  The vessel is scheduled for a delivery to Latvian Navy Flotilla in August 2012, and soon after VIESITE will start taking up the Navy fleet tasks planned until the end of 2012.

The vessel will be used not only for military purposes but she will serve civilian tasks –search and rescue of people in the sea.


"Latvia can! The new patrol vessel "Viesite" is a vivid proof of Latvian ability to build warships. Successfully adopting German know-how, Rīgas kuģu būvētava workers, starting from a keel’s construction, have built the “turn-key” vessel which will serve the needs of the Latvian Naval Forces! It is important to note that more than 220 persons have been involved in the building process! Rīgas kuģu būvētava (RKB) provides employment to about 700 workers and to about 2000 workers including subcontracting companies. Our yard has long been active in the breakthrough in the economy announced by the Government ", - says JSC" Rīgas kuģu būvētava" Chairman Vasilijs Melniks.

One of the most interesting traditions of the Navy is that each vessel has her own godmother who is elected once for the vessel’s whole life regardless of the vessel's fate.  Mrs.Daina Vitola, Head of Viesite County Registry and Head of Viesite Municipality office, has been chosen as a god mother for the patrol vessel P - 07 "Viesite". The choice has been made due to the fact that Mrs.D. Vītola  is a local resident, was born and raised in Viesīte, her working life has been related to Viesite city, county community, Mrs. D. Vītola is socially very active and both organizes and participates a in various county events. Since name of Viesite is being given to the vessel in a memory of the Latvian liberation battles in 1919th , an important fact in a choosing of the god mother was a fact that Daina’s  grandfather A. Abiļevičs living in Viesite County was  awarded with  Lachplesha Order  for the heroism showed in Latvian liberation battles of the 1919th.

Construction of patrol vessels is performed in accordance with Ministry of Defense (MoD) and RKB Coast Guard patrol boats construction and supply contract between concluded on 21st of December 2007 under which all five vessels are to be delivered to MoD by 2014.

Patrol vessels have been chosen the names of the cities: Skrunda, Cesis, Viesite, Jelgava and Rezekne, the most important places of the liberation battles in Latvian historical districts.

Ceremony will begin at 14:30.    President of Latvia Andris Berzins,  the Minister of Defense, Artis Pabriks, the National Armed Forces Commander, ģmaj. Raymond Graube, Navy fleet commander Navy Captain Rimantas Štrimaitis, RKB Chairman Vasily Melnik, and other officials will participate in Ceremony.