On November 9 five national to international exercises, Baltic Host 2015, Arcade Fusion 2015, Maple Arche 2015, Iron Sword 2015 and Confidence 2015, will begin in Lithuania and run for nearly a month. In total, the exercises will train roughly 2800 military and civilian personnel from 11 countries (the Czech Republic, Canada, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland United Kingdom, United States and Ukraine) and the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC). Two of the five exercises will be also conducted in other Baltic states.
"The intensity of military exercises in Lithuania growing in the context of the current geopolitical situation is a demonstration of both, the attitude of the Lithuanian Armed Forces to readiness for an independent national defence, and NATO's attitude to the readiness for collective defence in Eastern Europe. We attempt to keep the balance between national and international exercises because we would have to go into action alone in the beginning, with the capabilities and skills we have, in case of an armed aggression," Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas says.
At the five concurrent exercises military and civilian participants will drill and hone different assignments.
Baltic Host 2015
Annual Host Nation Support (HNS) Exercise Baltic Host 2015 will take place at the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces HQ in Vilnius. The exercise improves the interaction among the three Baltic states and NATO allies, trains military and civilian institutions of the three Baltic states to coordinate and render HNS to the deployed allied forces. Exercise Baltic Host 2015 is linked to and synchronised with Arrcade Fusion 2015, exercise of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC).
This year Baltic Host will be unique from the point of view of the first-ever participation of the National Joint Host Nation Support Committee headed by the Minister of National Defence.
Arrcade Fusion 2015
At Exercise Arrcade Fusion 2015, also held at the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces HQ in Vilnius, the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) will train providing command and control amidst a security or humanitarian crisis in a simulated highly dynamic and complex environment. Headquarters of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf of the Lithuanian Land Force and the 173rd Airborne Brigade of the U.S. Army will join the exercise from Rukla.
This is going to be the first time command and control elements of HQ ARRC deployed in the three Baltic states. The exercise will train and certify the ability of HQ ARRC to control deployment of rapid response forces to a region torn by a crisis and to provide command for operations there.
Maple Arch 2015
Exercise Maple Arch 2015 held in the Adolfas Ramanauskas Warfare Training Centre in Nemenčinė (Vilnius distr.) is a command post exercise (CPX) of the joint Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian Brigade LITPOLUKRBRIG. This computer-assisted exercise aims to improve interaction among command and control elements of the three countries and their readiness to carry out operational planning in crisis situations. Participants of the exercise will a tactical simulation system test the exercise concept and plan.
Iron Sword 2015
The most numerous training audience of the five exercises will attend Exercise Iron Sword 2015. The total of roughly 2100 participants, including 800 soldiers from NATO countries, will attend the international field training exercise Iron Sword 2015 organised by the Lithuanian Land Force. The Exercise will train and evaluate interaction, coordination of actions and readiness to carry out defensive and offensive operations of combined units formed by NATO Allies. The exercise held under the Military Training and Exercise Program (MTEP) will take place at General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area in Pabradė.
Over 300 units of military materiel of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and NATO allies will be used at Exercise Iron Sword 2015, such as M113 tracked armoured personnel carriers, HMMWV all-terrain vehicles, and DAF, MB, Unimog and SISU trucks. The U.S. soldiers will take part in the exercise with Abrams main battle tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Polish troops will bring Rosomak infantry fighting vehicles, and Latvian and British military personnel - armoured ATVs.
Confidence 2015
Confidence 2015, exercise of the Non-kinetic Operations Company of the Lithuanian National Defence Force and units of the Lithuanian Land Force, will be integrated into Exercise Iron Sword 2015. Modern armed conflict often takes place in populated territories, therefore Exercise Confidence 2015 will train Lithuanian non-kinetic units to assess civil environment and ensure fluent cooperation between the Lithuanian Armed Forces, NATO allies and local community amidst a starting or ongoing armed conflict. The exercise will be taking place at General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area in Pabradė, and districts of Ignalina, Švenčionys and Utena.
For the Media:
The following media opportunities will be held of the five exercises:
- November 9 - opening of Exercise Iron Sword 2015 at Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area in Pabardė
- November 13 - Distinguished Visitors and Media Day of Exercise Baltic Host 2015 in Vilnius
- November 14 - community event/static display of equipment used in Exercise Iron Sword 2015 in Utena
- November 17 - Distinguished Visitors and Media Day of Exercise Arrcade Fusion 2015 in Lielvarde (Latvia)
- November 18 - Distinguished Visitors and Media Day of Exercise Iron Sword 2015 at General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area in Pabradė
- November 20 - Distinguished Visitors and Media Day of Exercise Maple Arch 2015 at Adolfas Ramanauskas Warfare Training Centre in Nemenčinė. Closing ceremonies of Exercise Iron Sword 2015 and Exercise Maple Arch 2015 will follow at Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area in Pabradė.
POCs:
1. Exercise Iron Sword 2015 and Confidence 2015: Captain Vaidas Bimbiris, mobile phone no. 00370 657 71 16, e-mail: vaidas.bimbiris@mil.lt
2. Exercise Maple Arch 2015: Captain Andrius Dilda, mobile phone no. 00370 640 45 380, e-mail Andrius.dilda.@mil.lt
3. Exercise Baltic Host 2015 and Exercise Arrcade Fusion 2015: Captain Donatas Suchockis, mobile phone no. 00370 686 28 035, e-mail: donatas.suchockis@mil.lt
Archive photo: Iron Sword 2014 (credit: Ieva Budzeikaitė)
