In the next couple of days there will be a visible increase in movement of military vehicles and personnel on the roads, railway and ports of Lithuania. It is Exercise Dragoon Ride II, a redeployment exercise , part of Exercise Saber Strike 2016 organised annually by the U.S. Army Europe in the Baltic States, and running on May 27 through June 23 to enhance interoperability and coordination of the participating nations.
On June 3-4 German soldiers and equipment with the 295th Artillery Battalion will arrive through Šeštokai Rail Station and continue via roads to military units in Rukla (PzH2000 self-propelled artillery and M113 armoured vehicles among other equipment will be brought) (the arrival has been postponed).
On June 5 roughly 1 thousand U.S. soldiers and 400 tactical vehicles will take two routes to redeploy from Germany to Estonia: every hour columns of 10-20 military vehicles will drive along the route Kalvarija - Marijampolė - Kaunas - Kėdainiai - Panevėžys throughout the day.
The soldiers will stop by to offer a static display of weaponry and equipment in Vilkaviškis (near the Cultural Centre, 10.00 a.m.-1.00 p.m.), and Panevėžys (near Babilonas shopping mall, 2.00-5.00 p.m.), and to communicate with local communities.
On June 5 soldiers and equipment of the U.S. Pennsylvania National Guard will arrive at Vilnius International Airport by C17 strategic cargo aircraft (4 Stryker armoured vehicles and 63 soldiers). The planes are expected to land at 7.05 a.m. and 8.50 a.m.
On June 8 Danish soldiers and military vehicles are expected to reach Gaižiūnai Training Area (Jonava district) (96 military vehicles, including Leopard A5 tanks, M113 armoured vehicles, and other equipment) and later to be distributed across units in Rukla.
Media representatives willing to cover unloading of the equipment are invited to arrive at Gaižiūnai Railway Station before 8.00 a.m.
On June 8 Denmark's wheeled materiel will also arrive via Klaipėda Seaport (roughly 20 Piranha IFVs, other equipment) and then will be transported to military units in Rukla.
Smooth redeployment of Dragoon Ride II forces in Lithuania is facilitated by the NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU LTU). The NFIU will be providing the type of support to the Dragoon Ride II participants that would be provided to NATO's Very High Readiness Joint Task Force deployed in Lithuania as NATO's first response to a critical situation. The exercise will provide an opportunity to the NFIU LTU to train and test its procedures for the facilitation of hosting a NATO reinforcement in Lithuania. Exercise Saber Strike 2016 will certificate the NFIU LTU inaugurated last autumn.
More about the exercise: http://kariuomene.kam.lt/en/international_military_exercises/military_exercises_2016/saber_strike_2016_4630.html
POC: PAO for the Lithuanian And Force Capt Donatas Suchockis, 00370 5 278 5091, 00370 640 45380, e-mail: donatas.suchockis@mil.lt
Danish soldiers and equipment arrive at Klaipėda Seaport, credits: L. Skiezgilienė
