OCTOBER, 2018. NO 5 (5). NEWS LITHUANIAN, U.S. AND NATO BATTALION TROOPS TRAINED IN AN EXERCISE TO TEST THE NEW FIRING RANGE CROATIA WILL CONTINUE (MoD) Alfredas Pliadis credits: Photo DEPLOYING TROOPS TO THE NATO eFP BATTALION BATTLE GROUP IN LITHUANIA Chancellor Angela Merkel NATO'S PRESENCE paid a visit to troops in Rukla NATO AIR POLICING MISSION: 14 YEARS ABOVE THE BALTIC ON SEPTEMBER 14 GERMANY’S CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, ACCOMPANIED GROUND BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA DALIA GRYBAUSKAITĖ, VISITED SOLDIERS OF GERMANY SERVING IN RUKLA AND IN CHARGE OF THE NATO ENHANCED FORWARD PRESENCE (EFP) BATTALION BATTLE GROUP (BG) IN LITHUANIA. HEAD OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENCE RAIMUNDAS KAROBLIS AND CHIEF OF DEFENCE OF LITHUANIA LIEUTENANT GENERAL JONAS VYTAUTAS ŽUKAS. ermany has been the first ally to sending rotations of the NATO Air Policing take the responsibility in imple- Mission in the Baltic States and officers to the menting the deterrence measure NATO Force Integration Unit in Lithuania. SPECIAL Gagreed to at the Warsaw Summit and de- Germany had been leading the NATO cided to become the lead nation in forming eFP BG in Rukla deployed for deterrence 2018. VILNIUS, ANTAKALNIS, the NATO eFP Battalion BG in Lithuania in and defence purposes since the beginning of ORPHAN CEMETERY... the context of continuing Russian provoca- 2017. Its personnel contribution is over half tions, aggressive conduct and threat against a thousand troops with weapons and equip- Lithuania and the Baltic states. ment, the largest part of the eFP strength Germany’s contribution to the develop- among the contributing nations. The NATO ment of Lithuania’s defence capabilities is par- eFP in Rukla is under the command of Lieu- ticularly substantial. It is also a longstanding tenant Colonel Rene Braun, commander of and close partner of Lithuania in upgrading the German Army Tank Battalion. military forces, weaponry, and military equip- Personnel and weapons to the NATO ment — Lithuania is buying Vilkas Infantry eFP BG are also contributed by Belgium, the Fighting Vehicles, Pz 2000 self-propelled Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Norway, howitzers, M577 armoured personnel car- and Iceland. In total, the strength of the mul- riers, etc., from Germany. The country is also tinational unit is over 1,200. Content NEWS CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL PAID A VISIT TO TROOPS IN RUKLA...........................................................................1 LITHUANIAN, U.S. AND NATO BATTALION TROOPS TRAINED IN AN EXERCISE TO TEST THE NEW FIRING RANGE.......................................................................................................3 INAUGURATION CEREMONY AND WELCOME FOR THE BELGIAN AND LUXEMBOURG CONTINGENT.......4 LITHUANIAN SOLDIERS SHARED THEIR Photo credit: Srg. Sp. Ieva Budzeikaitė Ieva Sp. credit: Srg. Photo EXPERIENCE AT INTERNATIONAL EXERCISE Dear readers of the "Lithuanian Military Digest", RAPID TRIDENT 2018 IN UKRAINE...........................................5 LITHUANIAN AND ESTONIAN CHIEFS OF DEFENCE In the first issue of the "Lithuanian Military Digest", we DISCUSSED MILITARY COOPERATION IN TALLINN.....6 proudly introduced to you Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, our great forest brother and freedom fighter. Today, with CROATIA WILL CONTINUE DEPLOYING TROOPS autumn speeding up, we want to invite you to extend your TO THE NATO eFP BATTALION BATTLE GROUP IN familiarity with this person. LITHUANIA............................................................................................7 Those who read the biography of A. Ramanauskas-Vana- gas, published in the first issue, know where he first saw this INSTALLING OF THE AIR FIRING RANGE COMPLETED world and how heroically lost his life for the sake of liberty of IN KAZLŲ RŪDA TRAINING AREA, EXERCISES ARE Lithuania. But for years no one who have known this name PLANNED FOR THIS AUTUMN...................................................8 could solve the riddle left in our country’s history after his NATO PRESENCE IN THE REGION AND AIR DEFENCE execution — where lay the remains of A. Ramanauskas- REMAIN PRIORITISED ON NATO AGENDA.........................9 Vanagas. So today, Lithuanian historians and archaeologists, after researching this hidden secret of hostile forces, present- NATO'S PRESENCE ed a joyful gift to the people of Lithuania, as if crowning the 100th anniversary of the independence of Lithuania which NATO AIR POLICING MISSION: 14 YEARS ABOVE is being celebrated this year. It is a pleasant surprise that right THE BALTIC GROUND...................................................................12 after you took in your hands our first issue, during the same month at Orphan Cemetery in Vilnius the remains, belong- SPECIAL ing to the partisans’ commander, were found. Thus, after ten 2018. VILNIUS, ANTAKALNIS, ORPHAN years of archaeological searches and more than 60 years after CEMETERY..........................................................................................16 shooting our brother, on June 1, 2018, the period was placed in the incomplete partisan history. As the Associate Profes- sor at Vilnius University Gintautas Vėlius have said, the buri- al place of the remains of A. Ramanauskas-Vanagas was per- sistently hidden by the still living KGB officers, who at that Military Press Office of Lithuanian Armed Forces Totorių str. 25, LT-01121, Vilnius; time, i.e. since 1956, after the resumption of the execution Phone (370 5) 210 3897, GSM (370 6) 28 75851; fax (370 5) 273 5550; of the death penalty, were responsible for the burials. Today, Kotryna Gurevičiūtė Correspondent all of us are especially glad that all their efforts went in vain. Phone (370 5) 210 3897, GSM (370 6) 28 75851; fax (370 5) 273 5550; In order to properly pay the tribute to the remembrance Email [email protected] of this Lithuanian patriot, his remains will be buried on Oc- Publisher — Lithuanian Armed Forces. The opinion of editorial office does not necessarily coin- cide with the opinion of the authors. Pictures, manuscripts are not returned and reviewed. Cir- tober 6 this year in Vilnius Antakalnis cemetery, the panthe- culation is 300 copies. Printed by the Cartography Center of Lithuanian Military, Muitinės str.4, Domeikava, LT-54359 Kaunas dist. Order GL-500. on of state leaders. Wish you a pleasant reading, Team of the "Lithuanian Military Digest" 2 Lithuanian Military Digest News Lithuanian, U.S. and NATO Battalion troops trained in an exercise to test the new firing range Photo credits: Alfredas Pliadis (MoD) and Sgt. Spc. Ieva Budzeikaitė (LITHAF) Ieva Sgt. and Spc. (MoD) Alfredas Pliadis credits: Photo mplementation of infrastructure nations. We would like to thank our hosts, the vestras Žukauskas Training Area will be the development projects in Lithu- Lithuanian Armed Forces, they have provided only military site in Lithuania suitable for host- anian military training areas takes outstanding support to the United States Army ing an up to a brigade-sized military unit — "Ius to a qualitatively and quantitatively new rotational unit," Ambassador of the United several thousands of soldiers an hundreds of training level for Lithuanian troops alongside States HE Anne Hall said thanking for excellent combat vehicles. Full logistical support to mili- our allies. Provision of such training condi- hosting of the U.S. rotational force in Lithuania. tary units of such size training in the rea would tions supports presence of our strategic ally, The training event at Gen. S. Žukauskas be provided too. U.S. forces and thus improves deterrence and Training Area was conducted by soldiers of the As Lithuania’s combat training infrastruc- collective defence capabilities," Vice Minister 7th Cavalry Regiment of the U.S. Army, Iron ture is improved, other military training areas of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis said Wolf Brigade of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and their surrounding territories are expanded, on September 20 at an event to observe U.S. and NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battal- their infrastructure refurbished, new training and Lithuanian troops on joint training at Gen. ion Battle Group. Live fire exercise at the new fields are set up to match the needs of currently Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area in Pabradė. firing range involved M1 Abrams main battle procured weaponry. Infrastructure develop- A heavy weaponry firing range suitable also for tanks and Bradley armoured personnel carri- ment is planned for five training areas, how- tanks to fire inert ammunition was set up here ers of the U.S. Army. Soldiers of the Lithuanian ever, the main focus is on two objects of state in the end of summer. Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanised Infantry importance — Gen. S. Žukauskas Training Minister R. Karoblis stressed that the refur- Battalion will also provide heavy mortar fire Area and Gaižiūnai Training Area. bishment increased readiness of the training al- support to the infantry company of the U.S. Various infrastructure development proj- lies as well as their interoperability with Lithu- Army in this exercise. ects are planned to be completed at Lithuanian anian troops. The exercise was also observed by Chief of Armed Forces military training areas in stages "This training event represents the culmina- Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas until 2022. tion of efforts that include the completion of Vytautas Žukas, representatives of the Ministry The projects are financed not only from the multiple purpose range complex,