The Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Lithuanian Armed Forces Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf, has officially reached Full Operational Capability (FOC). It means the units has mastered new equipment completely and is ready to fulfil its role on the battlefield.
Reaching FOC has been announced as a result of the certification training Iron Wolf 2022-II on October 17–28: the unit deployed to General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area at Pabradė executed offensive and defensive operations operating the new infantry fighting vehicles successfully. The force-on-force training operations were conducted with NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group Lithuania troops.
A coherent procedure to master the new equipment began at Algirdas Battalion as soon as the Vilkas IFV delivery: individual training for troops, maintenance personnel and commanders was followed by crew training to make sure they work as a team swiftly, expeditiously and unimpeded, and the last phase trained life fire – “the Wolves” were maneuvering on the battlefield and destroying targets with 30 mm gun fire. Finally, complex combat actions at the training range during Exercise Iron Wolf 2022-II proved the unit was ready to plan and execute military operations making the best use of the new equipment.
Equipping of Algirdas Battalion with the new IFVs began in 2019, over the three years since the Vilkas IFVs have fully replaced the M113 armored personnel carriers received from Germany still back in 2000. The new equipment significantly increases the unit’s firepower, including the ability to destroy enemy targets with SPIKE personnel protection provided by the high-class armor, and battlefield mobility with military personnel aboard.
Information credits: Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf
Photo credits: Lithuanian Armed Forces
