April 5, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj Gen Arvydas Pocius and Commander Lithuanian Land Force Maj Gen Jonas Vytautas Žukas met with Commander Danish Division Maj Gen Peter Kühnel who is in charge of the multinational „Red Knight 2011" exercise organised by the Danish Division in Rukla.
Commander Danish Division thanked Chief of Defence of Lithuania for the service of officers of the Motorised Infantry Brigade „Iron Wolf" in the staff of the Danish Division, told about the main Division's tasks, plans and perspectives of combat training of the Danish Division's and affiliated Baltic States' military units.
Maj Gen P. Kühnel said that the Baltic brigades affiliated to the Danish Division are trained well and praised cooperation of the three states' armed forces. „Shared responsibility among specialists of different military fields and their cooperation is one of the strongest characteristics in military operations," the Danish General said.
Commander Danish Division called the field headquarters installed at MIB „Iron Wolf" modern and stressed that it was suitable for the entire Brigade's staff to do operational planning in field conditions and create realistic environment for the participants of the exercise. Thus military units are able not only training the planning process but also redeployment and fit out on the terrain.
Over 400 military personnel takes part in the „Red Knight 2011" exercise held in Rukla on April 4-8. The exercise is led by Commander of the Danish Division Maj Gen Peter Kühnel. Air surveillance in the exercise is conducted by several „AS 550 Fennec" helicopters of the Danish Air Force, and „Mi-8" helicopter of the Lithuanian Air Force. For ground surveillance of the fictitious planned operation area wheeled vehicles are used.
Servicemembers of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis and the Lithuanian Grand Duchess Birutė Motorised Infantry Battalions, Duke Vaidotas Forward Support Logistic Battalion, Gen Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion, and the 2nd and the 8th Territorial Units of Darius and Girėnas and Dainava Military Districts (respectively) of the National Defence Volunteer Force complete tasks in field command posts. They represent staff members of lower level military units are involved in the exercise.
Staffs of the brigades will conduct operational planning in the territory of MIB „Iron Wolf" in Rukla and surveillance tasks tailored to the undertaking of the operation will be completed by the contingents of the brigades across the entire territory of Lithuania.
„Red Knight 2011" is the first brigade-level training organised in Lithuania by the Danish Division. The purpose of the exercise is to train brigade-level staff officers in defence and operational planning in composition of a multinational contingent.
„Red Knight 2011" organised in line with combat training plan of the Danish Division is of continuous character. Troops of MIB „Iron Wolf" have already taken part in defence operational planning training events arranged by the Danish Division. Defence plans drafted during „Red Knight 2011" will be used for „Yellow Knight 2011" staff training due this autumn in Denmark.
Motorised Infantry Brigade „Iron Wolf" was affiliated to the Danish Division in 2006 seeking to ensure Lithuania's and Danish military units' capability to cooperate across the full scope of multinational operations. Affiliation entails cooperation of both countries' officers in multinational headquarters, joint training and exercise. Affiliation of MIB „Iron Wolf" to the Danish Division allows Lithuanian personnel to train in larger - division and corps-level - exercises than before.
MIB „Iron Wolf" Capt Skomantas Povilionis, phone no. 00370 614 35 693.
