On November 6 Commander of Multinational Corps Northeast Lieutenant General Sławomir Wojciechowski conducted a formal visit in Lithuania. He met with representatives of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and NATO units to discuss security in the region, defence plans, organisation of Host Nation Support, and multinational exercises in the region.
Lieutenant General S. Wojciechowski had meetings with Chief of Defence of Lithuania Jonas Vytautas Žukas, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff for Operations Brigadier General Raimundas Vaikšnoras, Commander of the NATO Force Integration Unit in Lithuania Colonel Jakob S. Larsen, Commander of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf Colonel Mindaugas Seponavičius.
"Multinational Corps Northeast is in charge of the defence of our region, we are interested that it has concrete plans for a swift reinforcement of defence in our region, and to regularly hold corresponding exercises. We also appreciate that Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast supports certification of all six (in Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Hungary) NATO Force Integration Units in its subordination and has equal requirements for all," Lt Gen J. V. Žukas said.
Deputy Chief of Defence Staff for Operations Brig Gen R. Vaikšnoras discussed topicalities of defence planning at the meeting with the new Commander MNC NE.
During the visit to the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf the guest was briefed by the Brigade's Commander Col Mindaugas Seponavičius on the integration of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group into the Brigade and observed the tactical movement of the NATO eFP Battle Group to the positions of defence at the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area (Pabradė) as part of Exercise Iron Wolf.
Other topics discussed with Commander MNC NE were the objectives of the NATO Force Integration Unit in Lithuania. The main objective is to properly prepare for and then ensure that NATO's Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) is expeditiously deployed in Lithuania with spearhead units ready to respond in the region of conflict within 48 hours in case of necessity.
Based in Szczecin, Poland, Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast reports to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). It was certified as the Alliance's High-Readiness Forces Headquarters of a Land Component Command during Exercise Saber Strike last year. Currently roughly 450 soldiers and civilians from 19 countries, including 8 Lithuanian officers, are serving with it.
The mission of Multinational Corps Northeast is to be ready to re-deploy quickly and to ensure command and control in an area of operations designated by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), as a Component Command or as a Force Command.
Photo credits: Maj Mindaugas Neimontas, Maj Tomas Balkus, Maj Duarte Cigre, Alfredas Pliadis, Cpl Vaiga Zalatoriūtė
PAO for Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Maj Tomas Balkus, +370 5 219 6401, +370 686 28035, tomas.balkus@mil.lt
