On 29 October-8 November, the Baltic States and Poland hosted NATO drills with a view to making sure that the NATO Response Force (NRF) is ready to defend any Ally, deploy anywhere and deal with any threat to respond to international crises, as well as to carry out the task of collective defence. The Lithuanian Prime Minister had an opportunity to follow tactical field shooting exercises in Poland.
"Lithuania's defence is based on joint actions with the allies, and we are pleased to have this kind of large-scale training exercises happening in our region for the first time. It will provide us with a possibility of checking the feasibility of NATO reinforcement in the military exercises of the Baltic States "Baltic Host" as well as the defensive capabilities in interaction with other allied troops," – said the Prime Minister.
The exercise involved the NATO Response Force, which in case of crisis would be the first to go to the hot spot to handle the situation. It is important to note that the exercises involve not only the headquarters, but also combat units. This happens to be the largest-scale NATO drill from 2006. It offers a great chance for our soldiers to gain more experience in joint ally operations, at the same time ensuring the national defence. The exercise involved approximately 300 Lithuanian soldiers, deployed in different areas in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway. The Lithuanian company in Pomorskie Dravsko poligon included 140 soldiers.
The Lithuanian Prime Minister believes that the exercise is a great proof to Alliance's responsible approach to the commitment to defend the Baltic States and Poland against any external threats; it also demonstrates our integration in the Alliance.
The Exercise Steadfast Jazz is open and transparent for the partners. It aims to enhance the Alliance's ability to operate effectively together. Over the past decade, NATO, and Lithuania to that matter, has focused on operations outside the Alliance, especially in Afghanistan. This exercise begins a new phase, which will focus more on exercises for collective defence", – said the Prime Minister.
