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International Exercise Strong & United 2023: Lithuanian and Polish Special Operations Force troops rehearsed adversary force neutralization

International Exercise Strong & United 2023: Lithuanian and Polish Special Operations Force...

On July 6, Coronation of King Mindaugas Day, military personnel of the Lithuanian and the Polish Special Operations Forces conducted a joint training event at Brig Gen Kazys Veverskis Training Area (Kazlų Rūda municipality). It was a part of the trilateral Lithuanian, Polish and German Exercise Strong&United2023, a type of training that builds better interoperability among NATO Allies with a special focus on execution of special operations until Article 5 is activated.

“Our ability to act together, swiftly and effectively while integrating the Allied forces is one of the cornerstones advantaged of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces. Strong mutual understanding and support are the fundament for our further improvement and development of the multilateral alliance,” says Commander of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces Col Mindaugas Mažonas about the readiness and cooperation with other countries’ forces.

According to the exercise scenario, reconnaissance units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces identifies a hostile group positioned in an object at Kazlų Rūda, and a united Lithuanian-Polish Special Operations Forces Squadron is dedicated for the purpose. The tactical part of the operation was started by infiltration of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces Vytautas the Great Jaeger Battalion’s sniper squad into the area and physical confirmation of the hostile force position. Another Vytautas the Great Battalion’s jaeger squad paradropped from an L-410 of the Lithuanian Air Force next to the site to block access of the area. At the same time, Joint Light Tactical Vehicles JLTV blocked out the site in the near perimeter. Since the adversary refused to surrender, combat squads of the Lithuanian and the Polish Special Operations Forces approached the site with Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters and neutralized the enemy force.

The international Special Operations Forces Exercise Strong & United 2023 is an integral part of the uninterrupted ongoing cycle of joint training of the Allies and the entire Lithuanian Armed Forces. During the training, military personnel use advance technology, weaponry, armored vehicles, motorcycles, four-wheelers, aviation and tactical boats to rehearse specific actions of the designated tasks and showcase efficiency in the water, in the air and on land.

Photo credits: SSgt Spc Ieva Budzeikaitė | Lithuanian Armed Forces