On February 10, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Brigadier General Vilmantas Tamošaitis as acting Chief of Defence of Lithuania discussed the current and potential directions of cooperation between the Lithuanian And the Polish Special Operations Forces with Brigadier General Jerzy Gut, Commander of the Special Operations Component Command of Poland, during his visit in Lithuania.
At the meeting which was also attended by Commander of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces Colonel Modestas Petrauskas BG V. Tamošaitis underlined the importance of cooperation between Lithuanian and Polish militaries, particulalry given the present geopolitical situation.
"To sustain and further develop the capabilities and relations we have already established through joint Lithuanian and Polish special forces' exercises and assignments, we need to continue looking for the most efficient modes and opportunities of cooperation by developing joint projects," BG V. Tamošaitis said.
The Lithuanian Special Operations Forces and the Special Operations Component Command of Poland train in joint exercises annually. Lithuania contributed a combat squadron and filled some of the positions of command in a certification exercise for the Special Operations Component of the NATO Response Force (NRF) based on the Polish Special Operations Forces. Lithuanian soldiers performed a standby for this component of the NATO Response Force led by Poland in 2015. A joint unit of Lithuanian and Polish special forces troops is also being trained for a standby for the NATO Response Force 2017.
"Combined efforts to coordinate the use of Lithuanian and Polish military power are vital for planning and ensuring that allied response is timely and efficient. It is one of the guarantees of a successful response to aggressors," Commander of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces Col M. Petrauskas.
Lithuanian and Polish special forces also built on their cooperation in multinational operations. In 2007-2008 units of the Special Operations Forces of both, Lithuania and Poland, were deployed in the same province as part of the NATO operation in Afghanistan. Lithuanian and Polish soldiers had many opportunities to exchange information and experience and to complete tasks together.
Soldiers of the Special Operations Forces of Poland have been training in the largest Lithuanian-organised special forces exercise Flaming Sword since 2013. The exercise not only improves interoperability between the participating countries but also involves inter-institutional cooperation.
During the visit of the Commander of the Special Operations Component Command of Poland an appreciation certificate was presented to Prof Vidas Pilvinis, the Head of the Department of Intensive Care of the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU), for Exercise Flaming Sword 2015 held in Lithuania last year. Cooperation with civil institutions is planned to be further developed in the future.
The Lithuanian and the Polish Special Operations Forces have been cooperating since 2001. A Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation of special operations forces was signed in 2013.
Photos by the Lithuanian Armed Forces
