On June 19-21 the new Chief of Defence of the Portuguese Republic Gen José Nunes da Fonseca Portugal conducts his first formal visit to Lithuania in the office. He is meeting with Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen Valdemaras Rupšys, top command of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the National Defence System, and visiting the Portuguese Air Force Detachment troops protecting the Baltic skies from Šiauliai as part of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states.
Portugal has been Lithuania’s close Ally in ensuring regional security since 2004, the countries exchange experience during international exercises in Lithuania and Portugal. Every year since 2015 Portugal is deploying a rotational capability here to train with Lithuanian Armed Forces units. In addition to that, units of Portugal and the Lithuanian Navy regularly train in international maneuvers in the Baltic Sea, BALTOPS.
The Portuguese military personnel deployed in Lithuania at the moment are ensuring functions in Portugal’s’ 6th NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states with F-16s. In its turn, Lithuania has troops in the Portuguese-led EU Training Mission Mozambique (EUTM-MOZ) since May 2022.
Photo credit: SSgt Spc Ieva Budzeikaitė.
