Lietuva in brief

  • 2014-11-05

The formation of the Lithuanian military rapid response force has begun.
Lithuania will establish the rapid response force taking into account the geopolitical situation and Ukraine’s experience. The rapid response force would react in order to prevent the actions of hostile powers in Lithuania at a time of peace.
The force will be comprised of roughly 2,500 soldiers from existing units. The new force would react to a threat from 2 to 24 hours. The location of deployment will depend on the level of threat.
Minister of Defence Juozas Olekas had said that the rapid response force will co-operate with NATO Response Force and will not be an autonomous unit. Lithuania is the first among NATO countries to create such forces.

On Nov. 3 the multinational military exercise Iron Sword 2014 was officially opened at ceremonies at the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Range in Pabrade and drill grounds of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanised Infantry Battalion in Rukla.
In total, roughly 2.5 thousand soldiers from 9 NATO allies, the Czech Republic, Estonia, US, UK. Canada, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Hungary and Germany, lined up to open the exercise in both sites, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence said. The multinational exercise Iron Sword 2014 will run simultaneously in the two main training ranges of the Lithuanian Armed Forces on November 2-14 to train interoperability in NATO units, co-ordination of actions and readiness to complete defensive and offensive operations.