On August 24 Chief of General Staff (Chief of Defence) of the Polish Armed Forces Gen Miechysław Cieniuch paid a visit to the LITHAF Air Base in Šiauliai. The guest met with Lt Gen Arvydas Pocius, Chief of Defence of Lithuania, Commander of the Lithuanian Air Force Maj Gen Edvardas Mažeikis, Political Director of the Ministry of National Defence Dr Vaidotas Urbelis, and other ministerial and military representatives.
During the visit joint projects underway, the progress and perspectives of the Baltic Air Policing mission were addressed.
Chief of General Staff of Poland met with the Polish military air personnel currently conducting the Baltic Air Policing mission.
After the meeting with the guest Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen A.Pocius emphasised that a full-scale defence cooperation connects Lithuania and Poland. "With all the branches of the Armed Forces at hand - Air, Naval, Land and, Special Operations - we have had experience of cooperation in the past in joint military operations in Kosovo and Iraq", Lt Gen A.Pocius said.
"Yes, we are aware of areas for cooperation. Air defence is more than just missiles, radars, and command and control systems. What we are doing here in Lithuania is a part of air defence," Gen M. Cieniuch said.
Lithuanian-Polish defence cooperation which has been developed actively since 1993 is based on the cooperation plan regularly confirmed and renewed by the national defence ministries.
Currently Polish troops are for the fourth time deployed to conduct the Baltic Air Policing mission. The previous deployments took place in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
Lithuania and Poland develop active cooperation via sending military participants to the military training events held in each of the countries' territories or of multinational character (e.g. "Jackal Stone", "Baltic Host", "Maple Arch", "BaltOps", etc.). Several of the most extensive Polish-Lithuanian defence cooperation examples to take place the following year will be the NATO Response Force exercise "Steadfast Jazz 2013" to be held in the territory of Poland and the Baltic States.
Armed Forces of Lithuania and Poland develop cooperation of staffs at various levels, military training institutions, and military units on a permanent basis.
Poland seeks NATO accreditation for the Joint Staff of the Special Forces Operational Component in 2013. Lithuania and Poland are interested to ensure the support of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces to the activities of the Component.
Lithuanian military have taken part in the multinational operations in Iraq and Kosovo in composition of Polish-led military units. Lithuanian and Polish troops have conducted standby in a EU Battlegroup formed jointly with military personnel from Germany, Slovakia, and Latvia.
In 1999-2007 a joint battalion of Lithuania and Poland LITPOLBAT was in operation. It was formed to enhance Lithuania's defence cooperation with Poland, a member of NATO since 1999, who provided assistance to the Lithuanian Armed Forces throughout the integration into the NATO military structures.
Spokesperson to the Chief of Defence Capt Skomantas Povilionis.
Photos by Antanas Gedrimas ( LITHAF AB)
