From November 27 to 29 a group of students and teachers of the Higher Command Studies Course (HCSC) of the Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) is paying a visit in Lithuania. The delegation of 20 members is headed by Commandant of the BALTDEFCOL Brigadier General Meelis Kiili.
The guests began their visit at the Ministry of National Defence where they were welcomed by Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen Arvydas Pocius.
Representatives of the MOD departments presented to the high-ranking officers Lithuania's defence policy priorities and defence tasks, National Defence System and implemented changes, Lithuania's defence capability planning, involvement of Lithuanian military in multinational operations, etc.
Students of the Baltic Defence College will also pay visits to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Energy Security Centre.
The visit schedule also includes a tour of the Airspace Surveillance and Control Command in Karmėlava and the Šiauliai Air Base of the Lithuanian Air Force.
The Higher Command Studies Course is a strategic level course for civilian and military personnel of the national defence systems of the Baltic States who commonly hold military ranks of Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel and fill positions of command. The HCSC takes five months with visits to the capitals of the Baltic States and meetings with high-ranking officers on the course schedule.
The HCSC at the BALTDEFCOL is attended by students from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovenia, the UK, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Japan. Colonel Sigitas Mundris, Lieutenant Colonel Algirdas Norkus, Lieutenant Colonel Dalius Polekauskas and Ms Aurimė Bikelytė represents Lithuania in the HCSC 2012.
The BALTDEFCOL is a joint project of the three Baltic States responsible for ensuring training and education of the Baltic higher command military personnel. As prestige of the Baltic Defence College among the NATO member states is building, the institution provides training and education to officers from other NATO states as well. Besides, it is among the few military education institutions in NATO countries that offers operational level command courses in English.
A major part of commanders of the Lithuanian Armed Forces' units are graduates of the BALTDEFCOL.
