On January 31 rotating Commanders of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania - outgoing Commander Lt Col René Braun (German Armed Forces) and incoming Commander Lt Col Peer Papenbroock - paid a visit to the Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
Chief of the Defence Staff Maj Gen Vitalijus Vaikšnoras thanked Lt Col René Braun for his tour of duty in Lithuania and wished every success in further service. He then wished the new Commander to line up with the Lithuanian Armed Forces in their the combat activities and to ensure high readiness together with Lithuanian colleagues, train, and prepare for collective defence in the coming six months successfully.
The NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group is a multinational unit formed for deterrence and defence. Its second anniversary of deployment will marked in Rukla on February 4.
Over a thousand soldiers of the current NATO eFP BG Lithuania and representatives of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Germany, as well as soldiers of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf, will line up for the formal ceremony on the parade grounds of the Great Lithuanian Hetman Jonušas Radvila Training Regiment in Rukla.
Deployment of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland was a historical decision taken by the NATO Heads of State and Government in July 2016. The capabilities are primarily a response to the Russian military aggression in Ukraine, and increase of Russia's military potential and show or force in the region.
The NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group deployed in Rukla since early 2017 is led by Germany. Troops with weaponry and equipment are also deployed by Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Croatia, and Iceland. In total, roughly 8 thousand allied soldiers served in the unit on a rotational basis over the two years. The NATO eFP BG is integrated into the Lithuanian Armed Forces Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf.
At different points in 2018 the NATO eFP BG was reinforced by German military units deployed to take part in exercises, actively trained in military training areas in Rukla and Pabradė, took part in international Exercise Iron Wolf, exercises in Poland, Estonia, and Latvia.
NATO eFP BG on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eFPLithuania/
Photo: Defence Staff
