A crew of 10 military of the Lithuanian Air Force's C- 27J Spartan are deployed as part of Operation Sangaris to stabilize security situation, prevent violence and civilian casualties and to ensure proper conditions for delivering humanitarian assistance in the Central African Republic as of April 2.
While on the mission Lithuanian troops have already carried out approximately 20 logistic flights transporting military personnel and logistic materiel and ammunition for the needs of the mission.
The Lithuanian troops are conducting their month-long tour of duty from a French air base in Ndjamena (Chad) from where flights to Bangui and Ndélé airfields in the Central African Republic, Niamey airport in Niger and Libreville airport in Gabon are made.
The Tactical Air Transportation Unit, i.e. the Lithuanian contingent, comprises pilots, flight engineers and servicing personnel under command of Captain Arūnas Jurgaitis.
"This mission will bring priceless experience to our crew as it gives us a chance to deepen our abilities to cooperate with allies next to developing other skills. Our pilots are flying in a scarcely familiar environment, servicing personnel are maintaining the aircraft in good condition in unusual climatic conditions which make their work harder. Our flight engineer is also faced with challenges when he communicates with airports of the CAR or colleagues in other countries' air traffic control centers. Nevertheless, our crew has been trained well, it is excellent at teamwork and copes with all the challenges," commander of the Spartan C-27J crew Captain A. Jurgaitis said.
According to the commander, the first thing the crew had to get used to in the mission theatre was local nature and climatic conditions affecting flights inevitably. "High average daily temperature, huge storms and poor quality dirt runways require ultimate concentration, application of all the qualification and aircraft operation skills," Cpt A. Jurgaitis says. He also underscores that the pre-mission training and fluent teamwork is the trick that helps the unit complete the tasks of the operation with success.
"We are not on a holiday here, so most often the beauty of Africa lies beneath us at bird's-eye view," pilots told about their impressions in Africa adding that landscapes, wildlife and rapidly changing climatic conditions also caught their eye. However, they are quick to clarify that close cooperation with their colleague from the French Air Force in order to have the tasks planned accurately, coherently and fluently is above all.
French colleagues also ensure that Lithuanians were able to have a quality relaxation as they seek to exploit the capacity of the Spartan C-27J to the maximum.
Upon the arrival in Chad the Lithuanian crew was accommodated at a military camp in Ndjamena where living and working conditions resembled Afghanistan, according to the military. Temperature in Chad is higher than in Lithuania ranging from approx. +46 by day to approx. +23 by night.
"We had to undergo acclimatization when we arrived because even air-conditioned residential premises were hotter than comfortable air temperature," the troops told. Later they moved to a more convenient residential and leisure time premises.
The security situation in the Central African Republic also influences the way the Lithuanian Spartan C-27J is used. The aircraft of the Lithuanian Air Force often lands at the airport in the capital, Bangui. French military are guarding the aircraft when it is landing as well as during loading and unloading of cargo. The situation is even more complicated further away to the country where armed clashes are taking place. Operation Sangaris is particularly relevant to the country as well as to the entire region.
Operation Sangaris of the French Army was mandated by Resolution 2127 passed by the United Nations Security Council on 5 December 2013. The operation aims at bringing security to the country and to prevent violence and civilians victims as well as to ensure conditions for delivering humanitarian assistance.
Lithuania's decision to contribute to Operation Sangaris was determined by France's request as well as by an intent to strengthen Lithuanian-French defence cooperation that has intensified recently. France is among the most active participants of NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission. The Minister of Defence of France promised to send additional fighter jets to the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission in case of necessity during his visit in Lithuania in mid-March.
The operation in the CAR is not the first when Lithuania delegates national air transport capabilities to a multinational operation. Lithuania's transport aircraft was deployed to NATO-led operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo from 2001 to 2003.
As mandated by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on March 18, 2014, the Lithuanian Armed Forces have deployed a transport aircraft with a crew and servicing personnel not exceeding 10 troops or civil servants of the National Defence System for a period not longer than 40 days till June 1, 2014, to the operation in the CAR.
Previous mandates of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania covered Lithuania's contributions to three NATO operations - in Afghanistan, Kosovo and counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield, as well as one European Union-led operation - Operation ATALANTA off the coast of Somalia.
Currently there are over 100 Lithuanian military deployed to multinational operations, the majority of them - in Afghanistan. 3 Lithuanian troops have been serving in the European Union-led operation in the continent of Africa in Mali since spring 2013, and 1 Lithuanian officer is deployed to the headquarters of the EU counter-piracy operation ATALANTA off the Somali coast based in the United Kingdom.
