In the afternoon of February 21 field training exercise (FTX) Interaction 2015 concluded after running for five days at the Gaižiūnai Training Area, Rukla and Jonava city. The exercise trained roughly 1.800 members of rapid response battalion tactical groups of the Lithuanian Land Force and other divisions of the Lithuanian Armed Forces to respond to threats of hybrid war.
"We have achieved the objectives of this exercise, the battalion tactical groups had a good drill ahead of the national exercise coming up in May. Obviously, there is room for improvement and there are lessons learnt, however, that is what an exercise is for: so that we are ready to give an adequate response in the face of an actual threat," Commander of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf Colonel Raimundas Vaikšnoras said about the usefulness of the exercise.
Colonel R. Vaikšnoras highlighted the close cooperation with representatives of the Jonava district council, administration of Achema JSC and police officers of Jonava city who were rendering every kind of assistance needed to draw the exercise to reality as close as possible. The Mechanise Infantry Brigade (MIB) Iron Wolf Commander also thanked residents of the district of Jonava for the support and understanding.
Exercise Interaction 2015 arranged by the MIB Iron Wolf comprised of several phases. In the first phase subunits of the Iron Wolf Brigade and military personnel of the rapid reaction battalion tactical groups were honing their cooperation in the conditions of higher than routine alert levels, were completing planning military tasks and readiness procedures. Later the battalion tactical groups conducted tactical redeployment to designated areas of concentration at the Gaižiūnų Training Area (Rukla).
In the evening of February 18 the action began gradually transferring to the city of Jonava and nearby area, and territory of Achema JSC where the exercise planning staff were simulating different scenarios to train the exercise participants to respond to various threats. The battalion tactical groups were carrying out military patrols, cooperating with civilian local authorities and residents, conducting assaults on objects controlled by hostile forces, installing check-posts, providing protection of critical objects and territories, and responding to fictional provocations and incidents.
The main training audience of the exercise were tactical groups formed on the basis of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanised Infantry Battalion and the Lithuanian Grand Duchess Birutė Uhlan Battalion with incorporated units from the MIB Iron Wolf, King Mindaugas Hussar Battalion, the Military Police Service, Juozas Vitkus Engineer and the Air Defence Battalion.
Alert level training at Exercise Interoperability 2015 was practiced by the staff of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf, the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis and the Duke Vaidotas Mechanised Infantry Battalions, General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion, and Logistical, Headquarters, Signal and Reconnaissance companies subordinate to the Iron Wolf Brigade's HQ. Other units of the Rukla Garrison were also involved in interoperability training.
The exercise organisers were assisted by military personnel of the National Defence Volunteer Force, the evaluation part was done by members of the Lithuanian Land Force, while the role of the adversary was played by soldiers of the Duke Vaidotas Battalion.
Photo credits: Sergeant First Class Eugenijus Žygaitis
