On August 3 rotations and command of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battalion Battle Group will change over at a ceremony at the Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonušas Radvila Training Regiment in Rukla.
The ceremony is expected to be attended by Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas, commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces' services, ambassadors and military representatives of eFP contributing countries.
At the ceremony commander of the eFP Battle Group since February Lieutenant Colonel Christoph Huber relinquish to the succeeding commander, Lieutenant Colonel Thorsten Gensler who is the commander of the 371st Mechanised Infantry Battalion of the Bundeswehr 37th Mechanised Infantry Brigade (Panzergrenadierbataillon 371, Panzergrenadierbrigade 37).
Roughly 450 soldiers of the second German eFP rotation to serve for 6 months deployed in Lithuania several weeks ago. Germany forms the core of the HQ element, HQ Company and one of the mechanised companies of the NATO eFP Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania.
The German soldiers brought roughly 120 units of combat and support vehicles, including Leopard 2 A6 tanks, Marder IFVs, Boxer and Fuchs armoured personnel carriers, etc.
The new German detachment is formed mainly by the 371st Mechanised Infantry Battalion of the Bundeswehr 37th Mechanised Infantry Brigade based in Marienberg, Saxony.
Currently the NATO eFP Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania comprises over 1450 German, 100 Belgian, 250 Dutch, 200 Norwegian and 20 Luxembourg's soldiers.
NATO enhanced Forward Presence is a direct response to the aggressive and provocative military actions of the Russian Federation on NATO border which have led to the deterioration of stability and security and predictability of security environment and caused changes in it. The decision to deploy a NATO eFP Battalion along the eastern NATO border was taken in the NATO Summit in Warsaw in July 2016 at the request of the Baltic states and Poland.
At present the framework nations of the eFP Battle Groups deployed for deterrence and defence in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland are Germany, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States of America. This presence means that an attack on one ally would be treated as an attack on all. It also represents the largest enhancement NATO has ever made to collective defence and includes NATO presence in the Black Sea.
Since the changeover ceremony will take place in a military territory, media representatives willing to attend should register until August 2, 3.00 p.m., at info@mil.lt. Please imndicate your full name, contact phone number and media outlet in the e-mail letter.
Only registered and accredited media representatives will receive information on the media programme, location and arrival time for the event.
Foreign media representatives and freelance reporters have to receive accreditation from the MoD Strategic Communication and Public Relations Department to attend the event. Please send a filled out form, copy of an ID document, and for freelance reporters - a letter from the editorial office regarding production of material.
Only registered and accredited media representatives will be admitted to the event.
Photo from the Lithuanian Armed Forces archive
