On July 24 through 25 Super Hornets (F18) of the United States, as well as F-18 and Eurofighter Typhoon of the United Kingdom and Finland are a executing aerial tasks of the NATO enhanced Vigilance Activity (eVA) Neptune Strike 25-2 above Kazlų Rūda and ir Pajuostis Training Areas while command-and-controlled by the Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces and the Lithuanian Land Force with Italian and Spanish colleagues.
The Super Hornets (F-18) take off from the USS Gerald R. Ford deployed in the Mediterranean to train conducting long-range strike missions across NATO’s areas of operations, including the Baltic and Black Sea Region, in the second half of Neptune Strike 25-2. The enhanced Vigilance Activity demonstrates the Alliance solidarity, combat capabilities and commitment to the defence of territory.
The second half of Neptune Strike 25-2 will see participation from 13 Allied Nations to include: Croatia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
In the first half of the enhanced Vigilance activity in the end of June the training audience conducted long-range strikes from the central Mediterranean Sea on training ranges in Croatia, Slovakia and Romania.
Neptune Strike if on the of the prime NATO eVA operations covering several areas of operations in Europe. For the duration of Neptune Strike the NATO Striking and Support Forces (STRIKFORNATO) take operational charge of several aircraft careers and expeditionary combat groups to exercise execution of NATO deterrence and collective defence tasks.
Photo credit: Sgt Spc Karolis Kavolėlis.
