Intense preparations are underway at Vytautas the Great Jaeger Battalion in Kaunas for NATO Communications Exercise Steadfast Cobalt 2018. Various types of NATO communications equipment is being transported to the Jaeger Battalion for the exercise, soldiers with communications units of various NATO allies are gathering to the exercise location. Currently some of the participating allies have already brought the equipment, however, troop deployment en masse is planned is scheduled for the end of this week and next week.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces and City Council of Kaunas will be ensuring Host Nation Support for the exercise. The participating forces will be provided with all necessary services: access to civilian and military infrastructure, communications and information technology, lodging, catering, medical, and other.
It is not expected the arrival of NATO equipment to disrupt city life in any way, traffic is not planned to be restricted in Kaunas. Some of the participating countries will have their communication equipment arrive via Vilnius or Kaunas airports and then be transported to Panemunė. Others will unload in Klaipėda Seaport. Part of the equipment will also be brought via ordinary land roads.
Active phase of the exercise will take place on May 21-June 2. NATO Exercise Steadfast Cobalt is of defensive nature and designed for training capabilities of communications units and for evaluating units of rapidly deployable Alliance's communications systems that ensure operational success of the NATO Rapid Response Force and other headquarters in any part of the globe at a very short notice.
This year the exercise will involve roughly 1,500 NATO soldiers from over 40 different units from 25 NATO allies. It will evaluate the ability of NATO communications units to ensure information exchange and maintain communication among combat units of the NATO Response Force, joint and component headquarters worldwide.
The exercise is held in Lithuania for the third time. In 2014 Steadfast Cobalt took place at the Division General Stasys Raštikis Lithuanian Armed Forces School in Kaunas, last year - at the Jaeger Battalion in Panemunė. Lithuania will be presented by soldiers with the Signal Company of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf at Steadfast Cobalt 2018. Protection of the exercise site and support tasks will be completed by soldiers from other units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
NATO Communication and Information Systems Group (NCIS)
NATO CIS Group is a structural unit of operational capabilities which ensures command and control of the NATO Response Force worldwide. It is a combination of cutting-edge information exchange systems and technology manned by top qualification experts and commanders.
NATO Response Force
NATO Response Force (NRF) is a high readiness technologically advanced multinational NATO force, one the Alliance's cornerstone military instruments. NRF comprises military units assigned by NATO allies that are held on standby in their home countries to be ready to deploy within a set time to the area of operation in case a decision to deploy NRF was taken. And in such a case, NRF deploys within 5 days.
POC: PAO for the Lithuanian Armed Forces Joint Staff Capt Tomas Pakalniškis, +370 657 61271
Photo credits: Sgt Spc Ieva Budzeikaitė, Lithuanian Armed Forces
