Naval Acquisition Trends Among Post-Socialist NATO Members

Post-socialist NATO countries with access to the sea are at various stages of modernizing their fleets. While countries such as Poland and Romania are moving toward acquiring multipurpose "combat" surface vessels, smaller countries—from Lithuania to Albania—are focusing mainly on patrol boats and minesweepers. The common denominator is the desire to join alliance structures and build interoperable forces, albeit in different "weight" categories.