On June 14-15 Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart William Peach and a delegation are conducting a working visit in Vilnius.
During the visit the guest will meet with Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis, Defence Policy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vidmantas Purlys, and Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas to discuss regional security situation, NATO deterrence measures, fight against terrorism, and military cooperation. Representatives of the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces will present to Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart W. Peach capabilities and development plans of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, readiness for national and collective defence, and representatives of the strategic Communication Department will present analysis of information threats.
Defence cooperation between Lithuania and the United Kingdom
Defence cooperation of Lithuania and the United Kingdom was launched in October 1994 with both countries' defence ministries signing a Memorandum of Understanding. The UK made significant contributions to the development of military training and education system, also to training and education of military and civilian personnel. The UK was Lithuania's key partner in planning and implementing defence command reform, consulting in resources and procurement management, defence planning, management and budget formation, reserve force reform.
In 2003-2007 Lithuanian soldiers (LITCONs 1-9) served in Shaibah sector in Iraq the UK was responsible for (in composition of the Danish Battalion). Until August 2008 one Lithuanian officer served in the UK-led Multinational Division HQ in Baghdad. In 2004-2005 five Lithuanian military medics were deployed with UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan (Mazar-i-Sharif). Since 2014 the UK has been posting an expert to the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence in Vilnius and since t- to the NATO Force Integration Unit in Vilnius. Since August 2014 two Lithuanian soldiers have been serving with the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) HQ in the UK, since March 2016 - one officer with the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) operational headquarters in Northwood.
The UK has deployed rotations of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states conducted from Šiauliai in 2004 and 2014, in 2016 - of its augmentation based in Amari. In the first semester of 2016 Lithuanian troops were on standby for the UK-led European Union Battle Group. This year Lithuanian company is on standby for the UK-led Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF).
Together with the U.S. and Germany the UK takes part in the Transatlantic Capability Enhancement and Training (TACET) Initiative to contribute to Baltic and Polsih capability development through military training. Currently the United Kingdom support Lithuania's effort to increase the Air Force Base protection competence.
Lithuanian and British strategic communication experts have been developing close cooperation since last year.
Lithuania bought 45 units of Land Rover Defender special purpose all-terrain vehicles from Ricardo UK in 2005, two Hunt class mine countermeasures vessels from the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom in 2013.
No media opportunities are planned.
Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence Major Mindaugas Neimontas
Tel. (00370 5) 278 5091, mob. 00370 682 25359, mindaugas.neimontas@mil.lt
