On November 2 through 14 large-scale multinational exercise Iron Sword 2014 will be held in Lithuania for the first time. The exercise will take place in two largest Lithuania's training ranges and involve over 2.5 thousand military personnel from 9 NATO member states: the Czech Republic, Estonia, U.S.A., UK, Canada, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary and Germany.
"A number of measures are being considered in the Alliance after the NATO Summit in Wales, a part of them is related to strengthening security in Eastern Europe, i.e. increased NATO presence and increased number of combined exercises in our region, and establishment of command and control elements. The multinational Exercise Iron Sword 2014 which will soon begin in Lithuania is an excellent example of talks and plans being translated into concrete actions. This exercise will increase the ability to act in the territory of the country both - alone and jointly with our allies, and will become a priceless professional experience for our military personnel," Chief of Defence of Lithuania Major General Jonas Vytautas Žukas.
It is noteworthy that soldiers from Luxembourg, Hungary and Germany have never been deployed to international exercises in Lithuania before.
"It is absolutely important for me as the Chief of Defence of Lithuania that even eight NATO allies have expressed a resolve to participate in this exercise. That demonstrates an increasingly growing and unanimous understanding among NATO states of the geopolitical change that has taken place and of our concerns about the security situation in the region. I would like to highlight that the Armed Forces of Luxembourg will be training in Exercise Iron Sword 2014 for the first time in its history away from their home country," the Chief of Defence underscored.
Exercise Iron Sword 2014 is part of the NATO Military Training and Exercise Program (MTEP). It will aim at training interoperability in NATO units, coordination of actions, and readiness to carry out defensive, offensive and stabilisation operations. Some of the units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces will also undergo certification for standby for the NATO Response Force (NRF) in 2015 and 2016.
"Lithuanian and allied forces are practicing responding expeditiously to exercise situations and are that way improving their ability to operate together. The exercise will run in two major training areas of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the Gaižiūnai Training Range and the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Range in Pabradė, because a single training area would not accomodate such a large number of participants and combat equipment," Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force Major General Almantas Leika commented on the exercise.
Allies have been gathering and equipment has been transported for Iron Sword 2014 by Vilnius International Airport, Klaipėda Seaport, Lithuanian railways and public roads since October 24, this will continue right till the opening of the exercise.
"The organisers of the exercise are working to prevent as much as possible of the inconvenience that might be caused to people by the movement of exercise participants and equipment to the exercise sites, so columns of military vehicles are escorted by the Military Police of the Lithuanian Armed Forces," MG A.Leika said about the movement of military vehicles in the territory of Lithuania.
German and Hungarian participants have already arrived in Lithuania with their equipment, while UK's military will reach Lithuania via Klapiėda Seaport.
***
Nearly 2 thousand Lithuanian participants from the Lithuanian Land Force, Air Force, Logistics Command, Training and Doctrine Command and the Military Police of the Lithuanian Armed Forces will train at Iron Sword 2014. Roughly half a thousand of participants from NATO allies will be the following: an air defence platoon from the Czech Republic, the U.S. company of the 1st Cavalry Division of the U.S. Army deployed in Lithuania, a reconnaissance company and an engineering platoon from Germany, infantry companies from the United Kingdom and Hungary, infantry platoons from Estonia and Canada, and a reconnaissance platoon from Luxembourg.
Over 300 combat vehicles of various purposes will be used during the exercise, including the BRADLEY tracked infantry fighting vehicles, the BPZ heavy tracked armoured recovery vehicles, the M113 tracked armoured personnel carriers, the STRYKER, FUCHS, BTR-80 and BTR-80 AM wheeled armoured personnel carriers, the HMMWV, DINGO, FENNEK and EAGLE IV light armoured all-terrain vehicles, the SISU multipurpose trucks, and various other trucks, ATVs and four-wheelers.
Exercise Iron Sword 2014 is organised by the Headquarters of the Lithuanian Land Force. The Lithuanian Land Force is also responsible for arranging host nation support for the exercise participants from NATO member states. From now on, the exercise is planned to take place annually.
More information about Iron Sword 2014: http://kariuomene.kam.lt/lt/tarptautines_pratybos/gelezinis kardas 2014.html
Photo credits: Alfredas Pliadis, Ieva Budzeikaitė
