On June 30 multinational special operations forces Exercise Flaming Sword 2019 wrapped in Lithuania. Participants of the month-long exercise trained arranging resistance in the captured part of a country. Main attention at the exercise was given to enhancing cooperation between NATO allies and partners in a resistance propelled by the special forces and the collective defence of the Baltic region.
"We have an exceptional opportunity to unify the response of the society, Lithuanian Armed Forces, and our NATO Special Operations Forces colleagues to defence Lithuania in the most complicated case scenario, based on the contemporary threats to Lithuania and the region to the maximum. What has impressed me most is the civic consciousness and motivation of our society as they joined the resistance simulated in the exercise - participating civil organisations and individual citizens integrated their areas or expertise and experience resourcefully in order not only to contribute to the special operations but also to arrange non-violent resistance actions," Commander of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces assessed the exercise.
All services of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and representatives of the Logistics Command, Military Police, Training and Doctrine Command, and the 2nd Investigations Department collaborated on the largest special forces exercise in the Baltic region as well. Lithuanian troops trained alongside our foreign partners from the Czech Republic, Denmark, United States, United Kingdom, Latvia, Poland, Norway, Georgia, and Ukraine, representatives of the NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ) and the NATO Force Integration Unit Lithuania.
"Exercise Flaming Sword offers a unique opportunity for U.S. and partner special forces to share insights and best practices while training according to a complex scenario. Such exercises strengthen the bonds between our Alliance and partner nations and consistently improves integration, interoperability and training," Vice Admiral Timothy G. Szymanski, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command said during his visit to Lithuania and the exercise.
Other institutions of the country cooperated closely with the training audience of Flaming Sword 2019 as well: State Security Department, Lithuanian Police Department, ARAS Anti-Terrorist Operations Unit, State Border Guard Service, Fire and Rescue Department under Ministry of the Interior, Emergency Medical Service, Lithuanian Riflemen's Union and city municipalities. Such assistance and cooperation are vital in order to make the exercise scenario depicting organisation and conduct of resistance in temporarily captured territory of the state realistic.
This was the first time the Prosecutor General‘s Office of the Republic of Lithuania joined the exercise. "Readiness to respond to an emergency or in wartime is the priority of not only the Lithuanian Armed Forces but also all the state institutions. Therefore participation in various types of exercises, enhancement of capacity and inter-institutional cooperation will remain important," Prosecutor General," Evaldas Pašilis said.
Just like in the previous editions of Flaming Sword, the exercise this year included soldiers of the National Defence Volunteer Force (NDVF)whose active participation is crucial in order to execute a decisive and successful resistance across the entire Lithuanian territory by assembling not only military but also non-kinetic and community capabilities with regard to the dynamic and complexity of the current day conflicts. This year NDVF soldiers shoulder to shoulder with Special Operations Forces troops and local authorities and communities contributed to the organisation of resistance and rendered assistance to local residents.
Exercise Flaming Sword 2019 placed an emphasis on the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine. Its readiness to perform a standby for the NATO Response Force (NRF) whose mission is to respond to a wide range of security challenges in a particularly short notice in 2020 was assessed. A Ukrainian Special Operations Land Task Group, that also received training from the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces from 2015, was certified for standby for the NRF and conduct special operations alongside special operations forces units of the Alliance.
"It has been the first time a special operations unit of country which is not a member of NATO has been successfully certified by NATO after having demonstrate a wide spectrum of capabilities and has acquired the right to act as part of the NATO Response Force. The Ukrainian Special Operations Unit underwent evaluation according to the NATO SOF standards and requirements and the evacuation results were presented in the NATO SOF final evaluation report. I thank the partner countries for assisting Ukrainian SOF in becoming closer to the global SOF team, and the personnel of the Ukrainian Special Operations Land Task Group," Commander of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine Lt Gen Ihor Lunov said.
Information an photo credits: Lithuanian Special Operations Forces
