Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command General Bryan P. Fenton met with Chief of Defence of Lithuania General Raimundas Vaikšnoras, top command and troops of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces. General and his delegation are conducting a tour through Poland, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Germany to get a better grasp of the latest regional challenges and strengthen the present cooperation with special forces partners, or even launch new ties.
“Despite all scepticism, the United States remains one of our key strategic partners. The meeting with Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command General B. P. Fenton have convinced me about the U.S. leadership in the region once again – U.S. Special Operations Forces troops train with Lithuania colleagues in demonstration of resolve and will to ensure security of the region against potential threats,” said General R. Vaikšnoras.
The meeting addressed achievements of bilateral cooperation, joint projects and future initiatives, as well as further cooperation between the SOFs, sharing experience, joint military exercises and readiness for potential threats. Other significant topics were the security situation in Lithuania and strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank.
General B. P. Fenton underscored the importance of partnership with Lithuania and thanked for the long-standing friendship. “We win with partners, serve with partners and integrated updates with partners. However, we all know that the most important part is people. Partnerships rest on person-to-person relations based on trust. It is clearly evident in the strong partnership between the United States and the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces.”
Partnership between the U.S. and the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces dates back to over twenty years ago. Numerous joint exercises have been organised over this time to hone key skills for special forces mission: identification of strategic targets, disrupt and neutralise implementation of hostile force plans. Such exercise not only perfects tactics but also improves interoperability needed in joint operations, especially in the context of hybrid threats.
Possibilities to further deepen the cooperation through high-intensity tasks at national and NATO levels were discussed. “Our joint exercises and experience has demonstrated that trust, operational discipline and ability to adapt quickly were the main factors of success. We ae ready to continue the partnership with the U.S. Special Operations Forces even further,” stressed Commander of the Special Operations Forces Colonel Darius Milašius.
The existing partnership rests on mutual trust, shared values and responsibility for security of the region and the whole NATO. The visit by the U.S. SOF Commander underlines the strategic partnership between Lithuania and the United States in security and defence, especially in light of the current geopolitical challenges in the Baltic Sea region.
Photo credits: Lithuanian Armed Forces
