SEPTEMBER 2020. NO 9 (28).

NEWS NATO MILITARY COMMITTEE DISTANCE MEETING

MULTINATIONAL AIR DEFENCE EXERCISE

NATO'S PRESENCE — THROUGH THE EYES OF A FRIEND Chairman of the NATO Military Committee visited Lithuania n September 25 Chairman of the tee to NATO’s political decision-making Military Committee (MC) Air structures. He directs and publicly represents Chief Marshal Sir Stuart William work of the NATO Military Committee. OPeach (United Kingdom — ) con- Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart William Peach SPECIAL duced an official visit to Lithuania. (United Kingdom — Air Force) assumed the — He met with Speaker of the Lithuanian position on 18 June 2018. THE HERO OF A Parliament Viktoras Pranckietis, Chief of De- Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach (Uni- fence Lt Gen Valdemaras Rupšys, other rep- ted Kingdom — Air Force) is the 32nd Chair- resentatives of the . man of the Military Committee of the North The guest also visited the NATO Energy Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); the Security Centre of Excellence in and most senior and longest standing military received briefings on the regional security structure in the Alliance. situation from the Lithuanian Armed Forces Air Chief Marshal Peach is NATO’s most Defence Staff. senior military officer and is the Military -Ad Chairman of the NATO Military Com- viser to the Secretary General and the North mittee is chief military advisor to the NATO Atlantic Council. In addition, he is the Uni- Secretary General responsible for conveying ted Kingdom’s most senior serving officer. consensus-based advice from the 30 Chiefs Lithuanian Armed Forces information of Defence as the NATO Military Commit- Photo credit: Alfredas Pliadis (MoD) News

NATO Military Committee Content NEWS distance meeting CHAIRMAN OF THE NATO MILITARY COMMITTEE VISITED LITHUANIA...... 1

NATO MILITARY COMMITTEE DISTANCE MEETING...... 2

NATO AIR POLICING MISSION WILL INCLUDE ITALIAN AND GERMAN FIGHTER JETS...... 3

LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR ETHICAL HACKERS...... 4

GERMANY WILL ALLOCATE 500 THOUSAND EUROS TO THE LITHUANIAN ARMED FORCES INFRASTRUCTURE...... 5

n September 18 Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant MULTINATIONAL AIR DEFENCE EXERCISE...... 6 General Valdemaras Rupšys took part in a NATO Military Committee (MC) session held via video teleconference. It LITHUANIAN TROOPS WILL BE ARMED WITH GERMAN Owas the second time in history that NATO Chiefs of Defence relied on PISTOLS HECKLER&KOCH SF P9 SF PADDLE...... 7 IT solutions to convene and address key Alliance issues via a classified connection, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and decision of the CHIEF OF DEFENCE MET WITH U.S. ARMY MC leadership. V CORPS COMMANDING GENERAL...... 8 The NATO Military Committee discussed with the political and mili- TH tary leadership of the Alliance NATO missions and operations, deter- 8 ROTATION OF THE FORCE PROTECTION UNIT rence and defence of the Euro-Atlantic area, and reviewed military capa- DEPLOYED TO THE MISSION IN MALI...... 9 bilities and resources of . Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Air Chief Marshal Sir TRIES TO FORGE A DEAL ON WHO CAN PLAY Stuart William Peach presiding the session expressed regrets that the BALL IN EUROPE...... 10,11 planned venue of the meeting in Roma, , had to be cancelled and thanked the Italian side for the effort and resources they had paid to pre- IN SHORT pare responsibly for the meeting. THE OLD STATE OF LITHUANIA: NATO MC Chairman also thanked the Alliance military medi- THE LITHUANIAN ARMY...... 12 cal personnel for maintaining vigilance and overseeing health of allied forces, and intensely watching the situation in operational areas where NATO'S PRESENCE NATO forces are present. Sir Stuart William Peach stressed that it was LITHUANIA – THROUGH THE EYES OF A FRIEND...... 14 still a complex relation when addressing NATO and Russia. "There has been a pattern of destabilising behaviour from Russia, includ- SPECIAL ing aggressive actions against their neighbours, election interference, and FELIKSAS VAITKUS — THE HERO OF A TRANSATLANTIC cyber-attacks. Russian propaganda outlets have falsely accused NATO of FLIGHT...... 18 creating and spreading COVID-19. We have seen that Russia has now made hypersonic weapons operational. They are developing new cruise missiles as "DECODING THE RAF": THE HUMAN SIDE OF THE well as new sea-based systems. These systems are clearly a concern for this MISSION...... 22 committee," he said in the final press statement after the session. The Military Committee (MC) is NATO’s highest structure of mili- tary command subordinate to the North Atlantic Council, Defence Planning Committee and Nuclear Planning Group. It takes strategic- level military decisions and forms military advice to the North Atlantic Council, the political decision-making body. Military Press Office of Lithuanian Armed Forces Totorių str. 25, LT-01121, Vilnius; At the highest level the MC is comprised of NATO countries’ Chiefs Phone (370 5) 210 3897, GSM (370 6) 86 94458; fax (370 5) 273 5550; of Defence while daily activities are carried out by their military repre- Email [email protected] sentatives. Chiefs of Defence sessions normally take place three times per Publisher — Lithuanian Armed Forces. The opinion of editorial office does not necessarily coin- year, two in Brussels and one — in one of the NATO member states on cide with the opinion of the authors. Pictures, manuscripts are not returned and reviewed. Cir- culation is 300 copies. Printed by the Cartography Center of Lithuanian Military, Muitinės str.4, a rotational basis. The Chiefs of Defence agree on and provide military Domeikava, LT-54359 dist. Order GL-410. advice to the North Atlantic Council as a result of their conferences. Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence Maj Tomas Balkus Photo credits: NATO

2 Lithuanian Military Digest News

NATO Air Policing Mission will include Italian and German fighter jets rom September, the Italian cises with Lithuania, , and German Air Forces with and other regional allies. Eurofighter jets will take The NATO Air Policing Mission in Fover the patrolling in the Baltic Air the has been conducted Policing Mission. They have replaced continuously since 2004, when Lithua- the contingents of Spain, the Unit- nia, Estonia and Latvia became mem- ed Kingdom and who have bers of the NATO Alliance. Following completed their mission. The new Russia’s aggressive actions in rotation will be led by Italy from the in 2014, the Air Policing Mission in Lithuanian Air Force Aviation Base the Baltic States was reinforced. Al- in Šiauliai, and the augmentation to lied fighter jets conducting duty in the the mission will be provided by the Baltic States often intercept Russian Germans stationed at the Estonian fighter jets which do not comply with Air Force Aviation Base in Amari. international aviation safety rules when "The Baltic Air Policing Mission approaching the airspace of the Baltic is one of the best examples of NATO States. In the eight months of this year, unity, demonstrating the Alliance’s NATO fighter jets have been scrambled commitment to security. This is also more than 80 times. shown by the readiness of the Italian NATO Headquarters in Ramstein and German Air Forces to carry out and Mons ensured continued and ef- the air policing mission in the Baltic region as ber due to military operational requirements. fective coordination and management of air planned, despite the coronavirus pandemic. For Until then, all functions of the mission will be policing over the Baltic States, and the capa- our part, we seek to provide our partners with provided by the augmenting German air police bilities are allocated by the Allies. The ongoing the best conditions for carrying out the mission contingent stationed in Estonia. NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States from the Air Force Base in Šiauliai," Minister of Italy and Germany are scheduled to partici- demonstrates NATO’s unity and shared deter- National Defence Raimundas Karoblis says. pate in two consecutive four-month rotations mination of the Allies to conduct allied defence On 1 September, the Italian contingent pre- in the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic and deterrence. paring to take over the mission participated States. The new mission of the Italian and German in the air police mission contingent handover This will be the fourth time for Italy and the contingents is already the 54th rotation since ceremony in Šiauliai together with the contin- twelfth time for Germany to deploy their air the beginning of the NATO air policing mis- gents of Spain and the United Kingdom comp- force contingents to the Air Policing Mission sion in the Baltic States. leting the mission. in the Baltic States. In addition to performing MoD information Italy, which has assigned a core contingent, NATO air policing functions, Italian and Ger- Photo by Antanas Gedrimas / Air Force Base, will start the air policing mission on 8 Septem- man soldiers will also participate in joint exer- Lithuanian Armed Forces

September 2020. No 9. 3 News Legal framework for ethical hackers

closure process, defines methods and means that can be used without the risk to be consi- dered a malicious action. It also prescribes the period of time that has to pass before informa- tion about the detected flaws can be spread so as the flaws can be removed or otherwise ma- naged. There has not been a state-wide regulation for responsible disclosure of CIS vulnerabi- lities in Lithuania so far, however, it has not prevented some organisations from initiating, completing, and applying responsible disclo- sure policies. An excellent example of that is Vilnius City Council: the institution invited cybersecurity experts and enthusiasts to con- tribute through a responsible vulnerability dis- closure programme "Hack me if you can" in the beginning of this year.

WHAT WILL THE REGULATION FOR RESPONSIBLE DISCLOSURE CHANGE? eeking a coordinated and legally regu- will be looked at, and insights from the partici- The legal framework for the responsible CIS lated involvement of cybersecurity pants will be heard, so as to troubleshoot po- vulnerability disclosure is expected to bring in community into the process of enhanc- tential vagueness or misinterpretation. clarity on the conditions of responsibility dis- Sing national cybersecurity maturity level, the tribution and vulnerability reporting. Removal Ministry of National Defence has drafted an HOW DOES RESPONSIBLE of detected vulnerabilities through a coordina- amendment to the Law on Cyber Security of DISCLOSURE WORK? ted process will improve cybersecurity situa- the Republic of Lithuania. If approved, the Sad but true, all CIS have gaps, bugs, or tion in Lithuania. amendment will provide a legal basis for res- other flaws of some extent, and malicious ac- "Every organisation seeks to strengthen ponsible disclosure of vulnerabilities in com- tors are looking for them. However, the good its cyber resilience by means of different soft- munications and information systems (CIS) news is that not only hackers with malign in- ware and hardware solutions, or other, such as that otherwise could be exploited for a cyber- tentions but also other CIS (cybersecurity) regulation and application of the responsible incident. specialists, scientists, and other IT geeks are CIS vulnerability disclosure process," Jonas The draft Law on Cyber Security of the -Re interested in such flaws and try to find them. Skardinskas, head of the Cybersecurity and IT public of Lithuania lays out terms and condi- The latter are known as the white hat or ethi- Policy Group at the Ministry of National De- tions for a lawful search for flaws in CIS. Per- cal hackers and have ethical goals — to de- fence, says. sons who find and disclose such vulnerabilities crease cybersecurity risks in CIS. Therefore, The cybersecurity community will be en- according to the conditions set out in the law there is a growing trend in different states to couraged to engage in the efforts of strengthen- will not only be able to know that they have regulate and use the responsible disclosure ing national cyberspace in a more active way: contributed to a more secure private or/and practices in CIS by inviting the cybersecu- everyone with skills and knowledge and willing public sector but also that they are secure le- rity community to responsibly identify and will be able to report CIS vulnerabilities they gally. disclose vulnerabilities. It is considered a find without any fear of prosecution. The piece The Ministry of National Defence will hold responsible action only when the informa- of legislation will apply to all entities of cyber- a forum-debate "Regulation of Responsible tion about the security gaps is pre-eminently security, such as state institutions, actors of Disclosure of Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities given to the owner of the CIS or another IT the private sector that provide critical services in Lithuania" on September 30 to facilitate product in which it was detected, and/or the for the state (e.g., water, power supply, health, involvement of interested institutions, such authority for coordination of vulnerability financial services, etc.), providers of the Inter- as law enforcement, in the debate on the pro- disclosures. net connection, cloud computing services, and posed legal regulation. Operating according to a set and publicly persons that are engaged in scale electronic The event is organised in cooperation with available procedure of responsible vulnerabi- commerce. NRD Cyber Security. lity disclosure, the organisation provides clear It is also an effort to build up the motivation Participants of the forum will be informed terms and conditions for CIS vulnerability de- of cybersecurity objects to take care of their about the proposed legal regulation, potential tection and disclosure, establishes the rights CIS and close the known security gaps ahead legal challenges the new practice may bring and responsibilities of participants of the dis- of time. However, even when the law will allow

4 Lithuanian Military Digest News

for the white hat hackers to look for CIS vul- nerabilities without getting into legal trouble, Germany will allocate 500 their activity will still have to comply with the terms defined by the law. It is also likely that the attention for responsible vulnerability dis- thousand euros to the Lithuanian closure will increase: discussions in the general public and the cybersecurity community will ultimately shape into best practices of such ac- Armed Forces infrastructure tivity. "It is natural that in the flow of life holes occur in our environment, planks, pavement tiles crack, etc. Most often we can inform the city council. But there were still many un- knowns in the context of cyberspace on that matter, i.e., one can not feel safe if he or she won’t be prosecuted, or perhaps it will not be even heard. There will be significantly less of such doubts when the responsible CIS vul- nerability disclosure regulation is introduced, roles, responsibilities and their limits of dif- ferent sides will be clarified. Such regulation is also a sign of maturity, these efforts will strengthen Lithuania’s image in the interna- tional cybersecurity community and different ratings," head of NRD Cyber Security Vilius Benetis says. According to the best practices of the res- ponsible CIS vulnerability disclosure, it is necessary to set and delegate to a correspond- ing institution well-defined vulnerability dis- closure coordination functions. This role is n September 7 at the Ministry of built in most military units of the Lithuanian planned to be given to the National Cyber Se- National Defence, Vice Minister Armed Forces. It is planned that another 1 mil- curity Centre under the Ministry of National Eimutis Misiūnas and German Am- lion euro for design works will be allocated by Defence. Obassador to Lithuania Matthias Sonn signed the Lithuanian Armed Forces. "The National Cyber Security Centre pro- an arrangement according to which Germany This joint Lithuanian-German project is motes application of responsible disclosure will allocate up to 500 thousand euros in or- being implemented, taking into account the principles in cybersecurity: if you have found der to plan ammunition storage facilities in success of previous projects. In 2018 Ger- a vulnerability in some CIS, do not announce the Lithuanian Armed Forces. These funds are many at no charge provided 1 million euro it publicly but inform the CIS administrator so allocated to Lithuania at no charge under the for the modernization of the infrastructure that they can fix the problem. If a vulnerabili- German Government’s program "Ensuring and of and Gaižiūnai training areas, ty is disclosed publicly before it is removed, a Strengthening the Security, Defence and Sta- installed multifunctional shooting ranges. malicious actor may you it for a cyberattack. bility of Partner Countries". The country is a long-term close partner of If you prefer disclosing trough a mediator, "Germany’s military contribution and in- Lithuania in modernizing the Lithuanian you can fill in the report form on the National vestments in the long-term security of Lithua- Armed Forces, its armament and other mili- Cyber Security Centre website www.nksc.lt. nia once again show the responsible approach tary equipment. We are ready to assess the situation and take of Germany to the security of Lithuania and With the growth of national defence fund- action to make the CIS administrator aware all the Baltic States. This perfectly reflects the ing, Lithuania pays great attention to the re- about the detected vulnerability, they will also long-term investments to the improvement of newal and development of military infrastruc- be informed that the security gap was found the Lithuanian Armed Forces infrastructure ture, and seeks to create suitable conditions through responsible disclosure practices. and the permanent German contingent in Li- for soldiers training. By improving the com- When the legal provisions are in force, the thuania with more than 500 military person- bat training infrastructure, the boundaries of process of vulnerability disclosure manage- nel," said Vice Minister of National Defence Lithuanian military training grounds and the ment, as well as the role of the National Cyber Eimutis Misiūnas. surrounding military training territories are be- Security Centre in it, will become even clea- "A joint investment in the capabilities of ing expanded, their infrastructure is being re- rer," Dr. Rytis Rainys, Director of the National NATO. Today, this is a small part of 100 mil- newed, new training fields are being equipped, Cyber Security Centre under the Ministry of lion euros allocated for the defence infrastruc- and they are being adapted for the newly ac- National Defence, says. ture in Lithuania," marked the German Ambas- quired armament. MoD information sador to Lithuania M. Sonn. MoD information Related photo, MoD archive New ammunition storage facilities will be Photo by Alfredas Pliadis

September 2020. No 9. 5 News Multinational air defence exercise

ultinational ground-based air de- impulse to seek and find new solutions and to gary, Italy, Latvia, , Slovakia and the fence exercise Tobruq Legacy 20 innovate through cooperation and interaction . began in Lithuania Monday. It will in air defence," Commander of the Lithuanian Allies have brought their air defence equip- takeM place in training areas in Šiauliai, Kaunas Air Force Col Dainius Guzas said at the open- ment, Patriot, SAMP/T, Avenger, Mistral, and Vilnius regions until September 25. ing ceremony. RBS 70, GROM, Poprad, Stinger, to the exer- The exercise objective is primarily to train The exercise promotes better integration of cise. interoperability and tactical NATO ground- multinational ground-based air defence capa- The multinational ground-based air de- based air defence procedures Lithuanian and bilities in order to improve readiness for a po- fence units will be commanded and controlled allied units and to hone air command and tential collective defence scenario. through a unified system during the exercise control. The exercise training audience will and engage air targets. "Let’s treat the present coronavirus situa- amount to approx. 950 soldiers from Lithua- Photo and information credits: tion not as an obstacle or a challenge but as an nia, , Estonia, France, Hun- Lithuanian Air Force

6 Lithuanian Military Digest News

Lithuanian troops will be armed with German pistols Heckler&Koch SF P9 SF Paddle n order to achieve new quality in the Armed Forces. The process of selecting a pistol reaching, for the first time since the restoration Lithuanian Armed Forces and ensure model also included test firing in various con- of independence, the minimum 2% GDP financ- provision of modern soldier equipment, ditions — the firing was performed in shoot- ing provided for in the commitments to NATO, theI Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence ing ranges of different types, in the tactical field very important projects were launched: acqui- has concluded an agreement with the German and intervention building. sition of fighting vehicles, armoured company Heckler & Koch and will provide its Currently, the Lithuanian Armed Forces is combat support vehicles, installation of modern troops with pistols SFP9 SF Paddle. These pis- using Austrian GLOCK 17, American COLT systems, enhancement of airspace sur- tols were chosen as the ones that best meet the 1911, and Czech ČZ75 pistols, most of which veillance and air defence capabilities, renewal of needs of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. are already running out of resources. military armament and equipment. The decision to purchase new pistols for The modernization of the Lithuanian Armed MoD information Lithuanian troops was made in order to aban- Forces armament and infrastructure is the top Photos by MoND: test firing of Heckler&Koch don using different calibre pistols and change priority of the national defence system. After pistols SF P9 SF Paddle over to the use of uniform calibre 9x19 mm pistol ammunition, leaving still usable ones for reserve and replacing weapons that are running out of resources. The value of the concluded agreement to- tals to about 1.57 million euros. The agreement also provides for the possibility of purchasing additional pistols if necessary. It also includes training of personnel to operate the newly ac- quired weapons. According to the agreement, the new pis- tols will be delivered to the Lithuanian Armed Forces by the end of 2021. The German manufacturer Heckler & Koch’s pistols SF P9 SF Paddle were selected from models of thirteen manufacturers as the most suitable for the needs of the Lithuanian

September 2020. No 9. 7 News

Chief of Defence met with U.S. Army V Corps Commanding General

eptember 23, Chief of Defence Lt Gen Commander of the U.S. Army V Corps Lt he is visiting to present his unit’s activities. Valdemaras Rupšys met with Com- Gen John S. Kolasheski is currently touring Eu- U.S. Army V Corps Headquarters is based at mander of the U.S. Army V Corps Lt rope. Lithuania is the next country after Poland Fort Knox, Kentucky. It is a roughly 600-strong SGen John S. Kolasheski in Vilnius. Generals unit, its forward-based element, a couple of discussed the mission awaiting the deploying hundred soldiers, will be deployed to Poland, U.S. Army V Corps Headquarters (Forward) Poznan, as of October providing the U.S. with and opportunities for a wider cooperation. its most important command post in the east- "It was a very meaningful visit that has ern flank of NATO. helped us to strengthen our warm and close The primary mission of the new forward relations with the U.S. Army even more. The headquarters will be to conduct operational U.S. Army V Corps reactivated this year was planning, mission command and oversight used for European defence back in the Second of the rotational forces in Europe. It will also World War. It is one of the four corps the Uni- provide additional capability to support allies ted States has. This is a strong message of de- and partners in the region. The V Corps Head- terrence to potential aggressors. We now have quarters (Forward) is expected to participate a definite U.S. military structure in the region in DEFENDER-Europe 21 in the Balkans and and a demonstration of allied resolve. It is also the Black Sea region as the main participant of to our advantage in terms of better cooperation the training. opportunities with corps subunits and head- Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence quarters which training defensive actions to- Maj Tomas Balkus gether will create," Lt Gen Valdemaras Rupšys Photo credits: Lithuanian Armed Forces, said. en.wikipedia.org

8 Lithuanian Military Digest News 8th rotation of the Force Protection Unit deployed to the mission in Mali eptember 21, 32 volunteer soldiers of the 5th Territorial Unit, Vytis Military District, National Defence Volunteer Force,S attended a deployment ceremony at the Castle of Biržai courtyard before leaving for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), Gao province, eastern part of the country, to serve as the 8th rotation of the Force Protection Unit. They will be responsible for force secu- rity in the military base territory and serve with German soldiers. "Let me wish you a sense of duty and fight- ing spirit, whether it is going to be easy of hard — because such is the commitment of Lithuania as a state to the world. You will be serving in a German military base at the same time as German troops are serving in our country, this is cooperation. You are going to a land where political division prevents secu- rity and it depends solely on peacekeepers. I wish you good luck in fulfilling your combat farewell you today and invite them to give you The United Nations launched Operation duties," National Defence Volunteer Defence their best support throughout the mission pe- MINUSMA in the Republic of Mali in 2013. Force Commander Col Dainius Pašvenskas riod," NDVF Commander said. Lithuania contributed its first Force Protection said wishing farewell the troops. The deployment ceremony was held after a Unit formed by NDVF troops to the operation According to the NDVF Commander, the celebration of a holy mass at St john the Baptist on 19 October 2017. are operat- biggest challenges his troops would face in a Church — Chaplain Lt Col Virginijus Veilentas ing side by side with colleagues of the German multinational environment would be to retain blessed the FPU rotation and told them about his Contingent, the new rotation will stand in for the team spirit and to adjust to challenging cli- experience of international missions. Soldiers re- the outgoing 6th Territorial Unit of the Resur- matic conditions. ceived tokens — badges of Vytis, symbol of unity, rection Military District of the National De- "Your mission will begin when you disem- loyalty, courage, wisdom, and life. The ceremony fence Volunteer Force. bark the plane in Mali, while to your families it was also attended by an MP, municipality mayors, Lithuanian Armed Forces information has already begun when you told them about commanders of NDVF territorial units, young Photo credits: NDVF your decision. I thank the military families who riflemen, families of the leaving soldiers.

September 2020. No 9. 9 News

Germany tries to forge a deal on who can play ball in Europe

ime is ticking for Germany to find a more restrictive stance, especially toward Tur- the best capability, the best technology," compromise on letting American, key and the United States. Kausner said. British and other non-European From the beginning, the Trump adminis- At NATO headquarters in Brussels, leaders UnionT countries tap into the bloc’s emerging tration has eyed the EU’s creation of a defense are striking a similar chord. defense cooperation scheme. cooperation mechanism, dubbed PESCO, and "We welcome the EU’s effort to invest in The government of Chancellor Angela the proposed multibillion-dollar European defense, and I think altogether this is a good- Merkel has taken on the task of sorting out the Defence Fund with a degree of mistrust. The news story. In a way, the more money put into issue by the end of the year, when Germany’s efforts run the risk of undermining NATO if defense, including by EU institutions, the bet- six-month term at the helm of the European America and its powerful defense companies ter," said Camille Grand, the alliance’s assistant Council concludes. are kept out, Washington claims. secretary general for defense investment. "It is an important issue to solve, particu- The tone has softened more recently, how- "Then there is a second point: that it is im- larly for close NATO partners," Karl-Heinz ever, as officials on both sides of the Atlantic try portant those projects are allowed as full as Kamp, special envoy of the political director at to broker a compromise. possible [the] involvement of non-EU allies. the German Ministry of Defence, said during "One of the things that COVID-19 has re- Because the reality is indeed that those non-EU a panel discussion at the annual Defense News ally brought into sharp focus is the significance allies have strong connections with the Europe- Conference this month. of our integrated defense industrial base," said an defense market, with the European defense The challenge is to find common ground Gregory Kausner, executive director for inter- industry," Grand added. between two camps within the EU: member national cooperation, who works in the Penta- German officials have been optimistic about states seeking ties with outsiders, and those gon for acquisition chief Ellen Lord. reaching a compromise since they took on the countries who prefer treating the nascent de- "What we want vis-a-vis PESCO and third-country challenge this summer. That is fense agenda as a members-only affair. EDF — and what we believe, more impor- because their proposal piggybacks on a paper Poland, Sweden and the Netherlands are tantly — is in the interest of the alliance, is by the previous, Finnish-run presidency that leading a group of nations advocating for open- free and fair access and the ability to com- was only narrowly rejected last year. A few ness. But France, for example, is pursuing a pete and to offer our respective war fighters modifications would be enough to clinch a deal.

10 Lithuanian Military Digest News

According to a German MoD spokesman, At the same time, the flareup has yet to SEVEN STUDIES officials aim to present a workable solution to touch the ongoing third-party access negotia- defense ministers at an EU foreign affairs coun- tions, according to officials and analysts. U.S. Defense Department officials are cil meeting slated for Nov. 20. "Concerns over dependencies, intellectual trying to understand the potential impact property and security predate the standoff on the government and defense contractors POISONED POLITICS between Greece and Turkey," said Yvonni- should American businesses get to partici- The current political context hasn’t exactly Stefania Efstathiou, a Greece-based defense pate in defense cooperation been helpful for forging a deal. analyst. programs involving the European Defence For one, there is the frosty climate between Meanwhile, Pentagon officials have begun Fund, or EDF. The results from seven case Germany and United States that stems from diving into a set of case studies designed to help studies will eventually culminate in a formal President Donald Trump’s testy relationship them think through the nitty-gritty involved in U.S. response to the European Commission, with the country, and his assertion that the EU setting up future cooperative programs under as officials there finalize language on access is taking advantage of American taxpayers on an EU umbrella, according to Kausner. Those requirements for non-EU countries, accord- trade and defense. That rift makes the propo- case studies illuminate the potential challenges ing to a Pentagon spokeswoman. sition of importing the powerful American on things such as intellectual property and re- These are their premises: How can ... defense industrial base into the bloc’s defense transfer that we feel are still problematic," the ... a U.S. subsidiary in the EU participate cooperation calculus an uphill , especially Defense Department official said. in an EDF project? in the European Parliament, a Brussels-based Another avenue to glean lessons for a wider ... a U.S. entity outside the EU participate analyst argued. EU application lies in the so-called European in an EDF project? And Turkey, which is part of NATO but not Defence Industrial Development Programme, ... non-EU end items (finished compo- the EU, is creating the perfect case study against or EDIDP, which aims to boost the bloc’s de- nents) be integrated into an EDF project? allowing nonmembers into the inner workings fense industry cooperation through all man- ... information and technology from a of European defense cooperation because of its ners of military technology. In June, the Eu- non-EDF project be used in an EDF project? dispute with Greece and Cyprus over gas re- ropean Commission announced 16 projects ... an EDF project be integrated as a subset serves in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. eligible for funding from a two-year, €500 mil- of a larger multinational effort? "The German government is fairly optimis- lion (U.S. $593 million) pot. ... items from completed EDF projects be tic that we will be able to find a compromise. The selection includes "four participants used with non-EU entities? The problem is that currently neither the Turk- controlled by entities from Canada, Japan and ... EDF consortia members use U.S. com- ish policy nor the U.S. policy terribly helps to the United States," the commission statement mercial items and license exemption? find such a consensus," Kamp said. read. In theory, those projects "demonstrate "We have a severe problem in NATO with the possibility to involve EU-based subsidiaries integration into the project structure remains its internal cohesion because some allies have controlled by third countries or third country unfinished. issues with other allies," he added. "We have a entities provided they fulfill appropriate secu- As officials continue to sort out the details Turkish-French dispute in the Mediterranean rity-based guarantees approved by Member on intellectual property rights, liabilities and and we have a Greek-Turkish dispute. Turkey is States," the statement noted. consortium structures, for example, a few prin- not always behaving in — let me say — in the The commission has yet to say which par- ciples are beginning to take shape. For one, the way of an ideal NATO ally, and that just makes ticipants hail from North America and Japan, four non-EU countries in the European Free things a little bit more difficult." and what roles they play, which suggests their Trade Association — Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland — stand to get rights to partake in EU defense projects similar to member states. In addition, officials consider it easier to -in clude British or American companies in proj- ects when they are removed from immediate funding through the . While European companies have their eyes on possible subsidies from the fund whenever they enter into PESCO agreements, there may not be an automatic funding eligibility for out- side participants. www.defencenews.com Photo credit: www.defensenews.com

German Defence Minister Annegret-Kramp Karrenbauer, right, greets Josep Borell, left, high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy, at a meeting of EU defense ministers on Aug. 26, 2020, in Berlin.

September 2020. No 9. 11 In short

The Old State of Lithuania: The Lithuanian Army

In the 14th century, the duke military sol- dieries were enriched in the number of profes- sional soldiers, whose hardware was markedly improved. A regular army was in the process of formation, while important campaigns were delegated to selected soldiers. Swords, cross- bows, different types of armour got spread; brick castles were built at strategic points of the country, while in the late century heavy artil- lery came into use. The Lithuanian Army, fight- ing in the enormous territory — with the Or- der in the West and North, and with Moscow and in the East and South — has been crushing the armies and capturing fortresses, overrunning the enemy lands. While defen- ding the statehood in with the Order, the Lithuanians tried to lure the enemy in their own territory and trap them in hardly acces- sible places where hard-armed Order knights were losing the advantage of their weaponry Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius in the battle of Kircholm, 1605. because they could not fight as one formation anymore. n the late 12th century and the 13th cen- chain armour and shields and using siege ma- In the late 14th century and the early 15th tury Lithuanian lands were defended by chines. The land was protected by the defence century the irregular army was formed from no- all men who knew how to handle the castle system. The Old State of Lithuania was bility. Weaponry of the irregular nobility army weapon.I The army was formed in preparation manfully fighting with its Eastern neighbors was in line with warfare means of the European to resist the enemy or start a military campaign. for influence in the region; the invading cam- knights: sword, heavy spear, plate armour, hel- During each campaign, army commanders paigns were also a case. Since the first half of met and shield. The Order was brought to its were elected, usually among the land dukes. the 13th century, the Lithuanians had to fight knees in collaborative efforts of Lithuania and Those have been forming regular military sol- against Order of the Brothers of the Sword and Poland; Lithuania was expanding to the East by dieries of the dukes. Most often, Lithuanians the Livonian Order; from the second half of the annexing Russian lands exhausted by the Tar- were arming with spears, axes, knives, helmets, century — against the . tars, while exploding the power of the Golden

Soldiers of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Honour Guard Company with recreated clothing and military equipage of the XIV century soldier of Grand — an integral part of the State holidays, visits and events. Lithuanian artilerists

12 Lithuanian Military Digest In short

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BATTLES WON BY THE LITHUANIAN ARMY UP TO DIVISION OF LITHUANIA IN 1775 22 September 1236 The Battle of Šiauliai (Saulė, Schaulen). The Samo- gitians defeated the Knights of the Sword. Between 48 and 60* knights were killed, including the Livonian Master Volkwin. 13 July 1260 The Battle of Durbė (Durben). The Samogitians and Co- Ornament of Ornament of ronians crushed the Teutonic Order. 150 knights were killed, including Bargel sword Desiukiškiai sword Sword found by incident the Livonian Land Master Burchard von Hornhausen and Prussian Land found in Ukmergė Lithuanian in 1986 in Raudonė, Marshal Henrik Botel. Region soldier Jurbarkas Region. 16 February 1270 The Battle of Karusė (Kerrus) or the Battle on the Ice. The Lithuanians defeated the Teutonic Knights of Livonia. 52 knights Horde in the Southeast. The hundred years of wars have demonstrated the perished, including the Livonian Grand Master Otto von Lutterberg. will and power of the Lithuanians. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania has been skilful coordinating military and political diplomatic measures. 5 March 1279 The Battle of Aizkrauklė (Ascheraden). The Lithuanians Since the late 15th century, foreigners were employed to the army. In the defeated the Teutonic Knights of Livonia. 71 knights were killed, includ- , the irregular nobility predominating in the army has been terri- ing the Livonian Grand Master Ernst von Rassburg. torially forming into battle units, known as flags. One third of the total force 10 June 1294 The Battle of Trojanów. The Lithuanians, led by the Grand consisted of the best armed and equipped army put together by the nobility. Duke Vytenis, crushed the Polish forces of the land of Kuyavia. Military service was regulated by 1529 I Statute of Lithuania as well as the 1 June 1298 The Battle of Turaida (Treiden). The Lithuanians defeated hetmen’s articles. The army was formed by the Great Duke, while the forces the Teutonic Knights of Livonia. The Livonian Land Master Bruno and were commanded by the great and the field . Since the 16th century, 22 knights perished. firearms spread, i.e. harquebuses, muskets, field and fortress artillery. The 27 July 1320 The Battle of . The Lithuanians defeated the main striking force in the field battles was a concentrated formation. Teutonic Knights of Prussia that invaded Samogitia. th Since the 17 century, however, the recruited army has gained more im- Autumn 1362 The Battle of Blue Waters. The Lithuanian army led by the th th portance. During the 16 –18 centuries, military units of the Grand Duchy Grand Duke Algirdas crushed the Tatars and occupied Podolia and Kiev. of Lithuania were formed, i.e. the cavalry (, petihors, Cossacks and 15 July 1410 The Battle of Tannenberg (Grunwald, Žalgiris). The Po- Tatars — the specific type of armed forces of Poland and Lithuania, as well lish and Lithuanian army led by the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas as riders and dragoons — units of the Western Europe of that time), artillery crushed the army of the Teutonic Knights marking the end of the Teu- (light wheeled gun battery, etc.), infantry ("German" and "national" type). tonic Order might. The long wars with Muscovy, Sweden, the and inter- 1 September 1435 The Battle of Ukmergė (Wilkomierz, Pabaiskas) is nal strife exhausted the state. Attempts to reform the army and the state in th the biggest battle in the territory of the present-day Lithuania. This battle the second half of the 18 century failed and after the Third Partition of the was compared with the Battle of Tannenerg by the contemporaries. The Commonwealth in 1795, Lithuania came under Russian rule for the next 120 victory in the Battle of Pabaiskas completed the war between Lithuania years. However, the Lithuanians would not reconcile themselves to this, and, and the Livonian Order that lasted almost 200 years. In this battle, the in 1812, together with Poles, organised military units to help Napoleon dur- army of Žygimantas Kęstutaitis defeated the entire command of the Li- ing his campaign against Russia. In 1831 and 1863 there were two popular vonian branch of the Teutonic Order. uprisings in Lithuania and Poland, but they were suppressed. Nevertheless, 6 August 1506 The Battle of Kletsk. The Lithuanian army crushed the almost every new generation of the enslaved Lithuania with guns in its hands Tatar army of Crimea that invaded deep into the territory of Lithuania. participated in the struggles for Lithuania’s freedom. The forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were led by Mykolas Glins- "Lithuanian Military Digest" kis. 28 April 1512 The Battle of Wisniowiec (the Battle of Lopuszno). The combined Polish-Lithuanian forces under Grand Crown Hetman Mikołaj Kamieniecki and the Grand Lithuanian Hetman de- feated the raid of the Perekop (Crimea) Tatars led by Tatar khan Mengli Giray. In Lithuanian historical literature this battle is usually called the Battle of Wisniowiec because before the battle the armies of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland gathered near Wisniowiec castle, several kilometers from Lopuszno. 8 September 1514 The Battle of . The Lithuanian army led by -Con stantine Ostrogski crushed the Moscovite army led by Ivan Chelyadnin. 27 January 1527 The Grand Lithuanian Hetman Konstantin Ostrogski and the dukes Mykolas Vyšnioveckis and Andrej Zbaražskis concentrated their army near Ostrog, chased the Tatars and crushed them completed near Olszanica. 27 September 1605 The Battle of Salaspils (Kircholm). The Grand Lithuanian Hetman Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius with a small army of 3,800 Soldier of the Lithuanian army with a recreated clothing and military equipage of soldiers defeated 14,000 army of Swedes and ended the siege of Riga. the XIV century soldier of Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

September 2020. No 9. 13 NATO's presence Lithuania – through the eyes of a friend I AM LIEUTENANT DUARTE CIGRE, THE COMMUNICATION ADVISOR & SPOKESPERSON FOR THE NATO FORCE INTEGRATION UNIT LITHUANIA. MY MAIN TASKS CONSIST OF DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING OUR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS POLICIES, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

What is your home country and unit? I am from Portugal and my previous assignment was as Chief of the Standardization Department at the Army Staff Headquarters, in Lisbon.

Why did you decide to become a military officer? At the age of 17 I applied to the Military Aca- demy because I wanted something different not just a regular job. When compared to other professions, the greatest difference is that in the military as an Officer you become a commander of soldiers and in that sense, you are responsible for their lives. This does not happen in any other career. Moreover, you have great opportunities to visit new countries and meet people around the world, as we are part of the Alliance and par- ticipate in several exercises and missions. The training that the Armed Forces provide is also not comparable to the civilian sector. During my career, in addition to public af- fairs related courses, I had training in several areas of expertise. My base specialization is Cavalry and Military Police but during the last 18 years, I had training in many different areas like riot control, survival, human intelligence, civil-military cooperation, NATO standardiza- tion, lessons learned, urban areas warfare, ex- plosives, etc.

14 Lithuanian Military Digest NATO's presence

What are the biggest challenges in your profession? I would say that the biggest challenge for the military in general is to be always ready. This is more noticeable when you get a new task or mission, and particularly when you get a new position in a new unit. You must be perma- nently available, 24 hours per day, and can be deployed to the most remote areas in a very short term.

What were your first impressions in Lithuania? I have never been to Lithuania before and as such, all that I knew, I got the information mainly from the internet and military informational briefings. I noticed the cold in the first place, but on the other hand I was very well received by all my col- leagues (we are 41 people from 14 different na- tions) and by the Lithuanian people. After one year in the country I can say that Lithuania is a beautiful country and very well organized nation. People are very kind and enjoy the good things in life. Lithuanians are very close to nature and very keen on taking care of it. I really appreciate that. The other thing that I would like to men- tion is that Lithuanian people are very patriotic and have strong sense of nationality, celebrating all historical occasions in a very passionate and emotional way.

What’s the best experience for you ser- ving in NFIU Lithuania? Generally, I like all the activities related to my job, but what I really enjoy the most is our com- munity visits. These are great opportunities to meet people from the different municipali- ties and get to know the country better. From Klaipėda to Rokiškis or Ukmergė, we have already been to 30 of the 60 municipalities of Lithuania and the experience is great. We meet the local leadership and provide information to people about the NATO mission and the NFIU role in Lithuania. We are always warmly received and feel fully supported by the Lithua- nian society. This makes our task much easier and gives us motivation to keep on with our work here, improving the capability of the Al- liance, together with the Lithuanian Armed Forces, to respond to any aggression against the country sovereignty. I feel very happy and proud to serve in NFIU Lithuania and to work for NATO.

By Ilona Skujaitė

Photo credits: LTC Duarte Cigre, NFIU, Maj Tomas Balkus, Municipality of Varena, Alfredas Pliadis.

September 2020. No 9. 15 The discount is applicable only upon presentation of a service National Defence System employees card. (soldiers, civil servants and employees Conditions and applicable discounts may change. working under an employment contract) There are additional conditions. * Expositions are free of charge to the Lithuanian Military Academy Soldiers of the Permanent Mandatory (LMA)** cadets, Permanent Mandatory Initial Military Service (PMIMS) Initial Military Service soldiers serving in the LMA, and soldiers from the Gediminas Headquar- ters Battalion (GHB). Coordinate with the regional Conscription and recruiting service de- Members of the Lithuanian partment.*** Riflemen’s Union Due to a match of the football club "Atlantas" coordinate with the Grand Duke**** Butigeidis Dragoon Battalion's S5 division of the Motorized Infantry Bri- Lithuanian soldiers gade "Samogitia". Due to a match of the basketball club "Neptūnas" coordinate with the National Defence Volunteer Force’s S5 division of the Samogitia district 3rd team. Due to a match of the football club "Sūduva" coordinate with the Lithu- Soldiers of the National Defence Volun- anian Grand Duke Vytenis General Support Logistics Battalion’s S5 division. teer Forces ***** The discount is applicable to persons who serve or have served in the Lithuanian Armed Forces, also to those who are in the prepared personnel NATO soldiers reserve of the Lithuanian Armed Forces (for the entire study period both for the first and second cycle studies). The discount is applicable on February 16, March 11, July 6, and Negotiation issues November****** 23.

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September 2020. No 9. 17 Special Feliksas Vaitkus — the hero of a transatlantic flight "ATLANTIC FEVER" eliksas (Felix) Vaitkus was a Lithua- nian-American who became the first Lithuanian to successfully cross theF Atlantic Ocean in flight and land in 1935 September 21, that way "rectifying" the tragic flight of the earlier Lithuanian pilots and Stasys Girėnas who perished be- fore landing. In the youth of aviation America was taken by the "Atlantic Fever", when American pilots gave a lot of efforts to fly the Atlantic. Ameri- can-Lithuanians also were among them: Two Lithuanian-Americans, Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas, had purchased an aircraft and were preparing to hop the Atlantic in 1933. They bought aBellanca — then the favorite air- craft for trans-Atlantic attempts and named it . It was modified for the flight, but car- ried neither a radio nor parachutes. It was the depths of the Depression, but the Lithuanian- American community managed to raise money for the flight. The pilots flew to in Brooklyn in 1933. But the U.S. government was slow to issue permits to land in European

LITUANICA

Lituanica above New York in 1933 Type: Bellanca CH-300 Manufacturer: Bellanca (rebuild for transatlantic flight in the E. M. Laird workshops) Construction number: 137 THIS YEAR WE CELEBRATE THE 85TH ANNIVERSARY OF LITHUANIAN PILOT Registration: NR-688E FELIKSAS VAITKUS’S FLIGHT OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. HE WAS THE First flight: 1929 SIXTH PILOT IN THE WORLD TO FLY SOLO ACROSS IT. WHILE VAITKUS’S Fate: crashed near Soldin, Germa- ny (now Pszczelnik, near Myślibórz, Poland) INITIAL DESTINATION WAS THE LITHUANIAN CAPITAL OF KAUNAS, HE Preserved at: Vytautas the Great War WAS FORCED TO LAND EARLIER IN BALLINROBE, IRELAND. Museum (wreckage) Lithuanian Aviation Museum (replica)

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LITUANICA II

"Christening" in Ford-Lasing aerodrome: Lokheed Vega becomes Lituanica II. Venta Kartanaitė is near aircraft. April 22 1934. F. Vaitkus near Lituanica II in Floyd Bennetto aerodrome, 1935. Type: "" countries. Rather than continue to wait, they killed. It was a national tragedy: The remains told authorities on July 15, 1933, that they were of Darius and Girėnas were flown to Kaunas Model: 5B going for a test flight. The heavily laden plane and were given a state funeral 40,000 people Seats: 7 barely made it into the air, lifting off just 50 feet attended. Construction number: 134 from Jamaica Bay. A Lithuanian board went to the crash site Registration: NC 926 Y Their goal was Kaunas, then the capital of to investigate. It concluded tha t weather and Lithuania. The trip required precise naviga- engine problems probably caused a forced Made in 1930 tion, which Darius and Girėnas managed. But landing. Lithuania built a mausoleum for Length: 8,38 m after flying 37 hours, and only three hours from Darius and Girėnas. It was destroyed after Width (with wings): 12,5 Kaunas, disaster struck. The plane crashed af- the seized the country in 1940. Wight: 1 129 kg(empty); 2155 (loaded) ter midnight near the German town of Soldin Their bodies now rest in a military cemetery (now Pszczelnik, in Poland). Both pilots were in Kaunas. The wreckage of the Lituanica is Maximal speed: 272 km/h Engine: "Pratt & Whitney Wasp" star engine, 420 HP, 9 cylinder, self-cooling.

Fate: After the successful flightLituanica II became a property of Feliksas Vaitkus. In 1935 it was shipped from to Kaunas and the Lithuanian Aero Club together with war aviators decided to buy this aircraft from Vaitkus. He agreed to sell it for 15 000 dol- lars and Lituanica II was bought by the Li- thuanian Government. It was handed to the Lithuanian Military aviation and later, after reapir, Lituanica II was used for scientific research — to meter cosmic rays in various altitudes. In 1940, when the Soviet occupa- tion of Lithuania begun, Lituanica II was dis- mantled and shipped to Šilėnai range, where it was used as a target and was bombed by the Lituanica was a Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker airplane flown from the United States across the Atlantic Soviet aviation. Ocean by Lithuanian pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas in 1933. After successfully flying Source: "Felikso Vaitkaus skrydis per Atlantą", 6,411 km (4,043 miles), it crashed, due to undetermined circumstances, 650 km (404 miles) from its destination, Kaunas, Lithuania. Kaunas, 2008

September 2020. No 9. 19 Special

displayed in the Vytautas the Great War Mu- seum in Kaunas.

VAITKUS ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE A few months after theLituanica’s tragedy, some prominent members of the Li- thuanian community discussed the possibility of financing another transatlantic flight. This idea was greeted with much enthusiasm, and enough funds were raised in spite the Great Depression. A much faster and more modern airplane (compared to the Lituanica) was purchased from the Lockheed Aircraft Corp., called the Lockheed Vega, the same model used by Wiley Post in his round-the-world flight, and by , the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. The airplane was christenedLituanica II on F.Vaitkus near Lituanica II under maintenance in Kohleir air port, in 1934. Sunday, April 22, 1934. When the pilot origi- nally chosen for the flight unexpectedly re- signed in the spring, the Lithuanian organizers turned to Felix Vaitkus, and he accepted the challenge to fly to Lithuania. Vaitkus was born in 1907 in Chicago, a second-generation Lithuanian-American. He joined the Army in 1928, and graduated from flight school. He was placed in the reserves as a first lieutenant in 1931. The Lituanica II underwent extensive modifications in 1934 and ’35. A variable

Cocpit and instruments of Lituanica II.

pitch propeller and a radio compass, neither of wait until the chief meteorologist gave him a which the original Lituanica had, were added. favorable weather report. It was not until four The plane was tested extensively, and by May of months later, on the evening of September 20, 1935, Vaitkus was ready. he was informed that the weather along his route had improved where conditions were LITUANICA II IS HEADING TO average with no major changes expected in EUROPE the next 24 hours. Encouraged with this news, The flight of Feliksas Vaitkus over the Atlan- Vaitkus decided to fly. tic Ocen was accurately recorded in the Lithua- The next day, September 21, at 6:45 in the nian — American press. Edward W. Baranaus- morning, Lituanica II was headed for Europe. kas wrote about it in the Bridges magazine as Unfortunately, Vaitkus had to fight the worst well: possible weather conditions, flying through rain, "Vaitkus arrived at Floyd Bennett Field in fog, and icing conditions, so that most of his navi- Emergency of Lituanica II near Ballinrobe, New York in May of 1935. Up until then, no gation had to be by his new radio compass. More Ireland, September 22, 1935 . Photo credit: pilots were able to fly over the Atlantic due than once he noticed ice forming on the wings Lithuanian Aviation Museum archives. to poor weather conditions, and so he had to and had to descend to a lower altitude until it

20 Lithuanian Military Digest Special

all thawed off. Vaitkus was helped considerably by hourly broadcasts from an Irish radio station. He learned that Dublin was fogged in, as well as all areas heading east as far as the Baltic Sea. He knew that he could not make it to Kaunas due to his low fuel supply, and being exhausted after a 23-hour struggle fighting the elements, he felt it was best to come down somewhere in Ireland. He spotted an open field and came down, with the airplane suffering extensive damage. He was lucky to be alive without suffering any injuries.

LITHUANIA WELCOMES A HERO Feliksas Vaitkus by ship and by train he made his way to Kaunas where he was given a hero’s welcome: He was the only one to fly across the North Atlantic in 1935, and even though he came down in Ireland and not in Kaunas, he was entered in aviation’s history books for be- Welcome of Vaitkus in Kaunas, 1935. ing the sixth pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic. He arrived to Lithuania in October 2, 1935. The Lithuanian officials and crowds of people gathered in Kaunas aerodrome to welcome him. They carried him on hands, expressing their respect to the conqueror of the Atlantic Ocean, and thousands of flowers were thrown under his legs. On this occasion Vaitkus made a small speech, which was reprinted in the Lithuanian aviation magazine Lietuvos sparnai: "Dear Lithuanians! I can’t say much, because I didn’t expect that so many people will gather to wel- come me in such a sincere manner. Unfortu- nately, I couldn’t fly here withLituanica II, but I am very happy that I still have my head. I am very happy being with you here I Kaunas. I’d like to thank all of you for financial and moral support, because they both were necessary to fulfill my flight successfully. Thank you!" Vaitkus returned to the United States after numerous celebrations in Lithuania. He was recalled to active duty in the Army Air Corps in 1940, serving as the chief test pilot at the Boeing Aircraft Co. in Seattle, testing hundreds of B-17 and B-29 bombers. He was recalled again to serve in the U.S. Air Force during the . He died of a heart attack while stationed at Weisbaden, Germany on July 25, 1956 at the age of 49. His body was shipped home and interred in his wife’s family plot in the Kohler Cemetery at Sheboygan, Wisconsin. At the time of his passing he held the rank of lieute- nant colonel."

The Lithuanian Military Digest inf. Photo credits: "Felikso Vaitkaus skrydis per Atlantą", Kaunas, 2008

September 2020. No 9. 21 Special

"Decoding the RAF": the human side of the mission IN THE END OF APRIL, DURING THE CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN, THE BRITISH (RAF) STARTED SECURING OUR SKIES TOGETHER WITH FRENCH AIR FORCE AND DETACHMENT, WHICH LEAD THE 53RD NATO AIR POLICING MISSION IN THE BALTIC STATES. DURING ITS MISSION THE RAF DETACHMENT HAS INTERCEPTED RUSSIAN AIRCRAFTS AND INTRODUCED THE PROJECT "DECODING THE RAF" TO THE LITHUANIAN SOCIETY IN ORDER TO SHOW WHO THEY ARE THROUGH PICTURES.

IN THE STREETS OF ŠIAULIAI using a method of communication that would "What is NATO and what do the Royal resonate and catch interest differently than the Air Force and Spanish Air Force do here in norm to show a picture where someone might Šiauliai? What would we as a group be able say "no way?! Me too, looks so normal" or "wow, to do, that would be interesting and informa- that’s impressive". And so the team from the mu- tive to the people of Šiauliai? These were my seum and I worked, with our photographers and thoughts when I arrived here in Lithuania", says created the exhibition!" Flt Lt Helen Davies, Media and Communica- So the project "Decoding the RAF" was tions Officer of NATO Baltic Air Policing at born out of enthusiasm for establishing human Šiauliai Air Base. contact between the townspeople, city guests In the first weeks, walking through town, people who are in their local Air Base year on and incoming airspace guards, who are often Helen saw so much street art and the Photogra- year. So I messaged the Museum and arranged a seen as indistinguishable and simply referred phy Museum — then the brilliant idea was born. meeting — Sigita and Eglė were so enthusiastic to as NATO. This project aimed to get to know "I said to lain, our Photographer, let’s use this to of our idea, we just kept going with it, — tells each other better by meeting in a cultural space. show who we are — through pictures. Not the Flt Lt H. Davies. — The effect I wanted to cause usual ones you see in our corporate communica- was to give information about who we are and THE EVERYDAY MOMENTS tions, but of us as normal — real people, being what we are doing in Šiauliai, to be able to build The exhibition "Decoding the RAF" — is an part of Šiauliai, enjoying the art and the city. I awareness of our mission for NATO; and also international project implemented by the Pho- wanted to work with the Šiauliai Photography to bridge the gap between the people of Šiauliai tography Museum together with the Royal Air Museum to be able to create an exhibition that and the mythical military team who are work- Force (RAF) performing the NATO Air Policing showed the real human sides of the Military ing at the Air Force Base. I wanted to do this by Mission at the Air Force Aviation Base in Šiauliai. The exhibition presents works by three photo- graphers — lain Curlett, Rolandas Parafinavičius, and Edvardas Tamošiūnas. lain Curlett — Royal Air Force photographer documenting the lives of soldiers. Rolandas Parafinavičiaus and Edvardas Tamošiūnas represent different generations of photographers in Šiauliai. The creators joined the project and spent a day at the Air Force Avia- tion Base capturing the everyday moments and moods of soldiers in their environment. After entering the securely protected area, the photographers gathered their research and created a photo report, in which the viewer is invited to enter and experience the nuances of a place usually off limits to civilians, to get to know the portraits of soldiers working in the area, to get a better insight into their everyday life. In the captured images, we see what our eyes usually do not see — soldiers not during parades or public holidays, not on official -vi sits, but sitting and talking, playing sports and resting, walking around military objects. The The street art of Šiauliai inspired the British aviators to make a project with the Lithuanian photographers. viewer’s gaze is guided by the three photogra-

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The photographers created a photo report, in which the viewer is invited to enter the nuances of the military base — a place usually off limits to civilians. phers between metal containers set up in the a beautiful country, Kurtuvėnai regional park I have ever been involved in something like airfield, from which passages are formed, and and the Hill of Crosses are two places I found that. The most satisfying thing was to show the the spaces in which soldiers train and discover the most interesting nearby," he tells. locals in Šiauliai the human side of the RAF the coolness of the shade in the summer heat. The RAF photographer was glad to take part detachment, not just the jets flying over their This plain military air base has a laconic scenery in events and engagements with the Lithuanian city", lain Curlett says. that catches the eye — fence fragments, ascen- people as well as other NATO colleagues, for So the RAF mission in the Baltic States is ding fighter jets, runways and machinery. Admi- example the National Day parade in Vilnius, done, but the project "Decoding the RAF" will ration is formed by small nuances — blooming the Sea Festival in Klaipeda and Viking Games "live" in Šiauliai for longer: the organizers hope flowers and green plants in pots contrast with at Barracks. to arrange for it to be handed to Šiauliai Uni- the monotonous and faded landscape of con- "These have been the most enjoyable events versity. tainers. The name of the exhibition presuppo- to photograph as well as the day-to-day activity By Ilona Skujaitė ses that the aim of photography is to solve the at the Air Base. Also it was a pleasure to work code of a soldier and see what is hidden behind with the Photography Museum and take part Photo credits: Senior Aircraftsman lain Curlett/ a uniform, to grasp the human emotions and in the exhibition — for me it was the first time RAF artifacts that reveal the everyday life and indi- viduality of the warrior. Not coincidentally, a portrait becomes one of the main tools to de- code a soldier in this exhibition. This genre is used not only in photography: The exhibition is accompanied by audio-visual material — videos in which soldiers are asked playful questions that require a short, unpre- pared answer, thus continuing our acquaintance, becoming closer and more personal, and increa- singly more distant from military regulation.

LITHUANIAN IMPRESSIONS Senior Aircraftsman lain Curlett, the RAF photographer, was visiting Lithuania for the first time and his pictures "through the eyes of a stranger" became an important part of the exhi- bition. "We arrived during COVID lockdown and I didn’t know what to expect, but when we were finally able to walk around Šiauliai it was great. I really enjoy all the artwork and sculp- tures in the city, especially at the time people The exhibition "Decoding the RAF" was born out of enthusiasm for establishing human contact between the townspeople, city guests and incoming airspace guards. had placed facemasks on statues. Lithuania is

September 2020. No 9. 23 Photo credit: Vaiga Zalatoriūtė

24 Lithuanian Military Digest