The NATO eFP Battle Group was under command of Commander of the 93rd Panzer Battalion of the Bundeswehr Lt Col Sebastian Hebisch from February. His successor Lt Col H. Ruppelt is the Commander of the 414th Tank Battalion (Panzerbataillon 414) of the Bundeswehr.
At the changeover ceremony outgoing Commander Lt Col S. Hebisch will be presented the Medal for Distinguished Service by Vice Minister of National Defence Vilius Semeška, the ceremony will be also attended by Commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces MIB Iron Wolf Col Mindaugas Petkevičius and other representatives of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
The current rotational NATO eFP BG strength includes approx. 1,200 military personnel from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Norway. The high readiness multinational combat capability of the Alliance has been deployed in Lithuania since early 2017 as a collective and robust contribution of NATO allies to the efforts to strengthen the Baltic security.
The eFP BG is integrated into the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The Battle Group is training with Lithuanian troops, U.S. heavy battalion in Lithuania, NATO Air Policing Mission colleagues, takes part in major national Land Force Exercises Iron Wolf I and II.. Over 12 thousand allied soldiers from nine NATO allies – Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Iceland, Luxembourg, Croatia and France – have already rotated through the eFP to train with the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
NATO forces are rehearsing a range of scenarios at training exercises and maneuvers in Lithuania, from urban warfare and peacekeeping operations to halting actions to stop an approaching enemy. The troops demonstrate multilateral cooperation and readiness to defend the Alliance territory. Pabradė is the biggest training area in Lithuania , ideal for training and exercises. Plans for the first exercises and maneuvers in the second semester of 2021 are already in place: multilateral battle tank and infantry fighting vehicle live-fire exercise will be held in August, Exercise Strong WOLF II – in September, and certification Exercise Iron WOLF II – in October.
Framework nation Germany also has the largest contingent of military personnel in the NATO eFP BG Lithuania. The country has been demonstrating leadership by also completing training area modernisation projects and investing into military training infrastructure in Lithuania since 2018. One of the bulkiest projects planned to be completed by 2023 is a 40 euro investment to ensure the requirements of the NATO eFP BG in Rukla, such as gear and equipment, maintenance and storing infrastructure, a new security post, administrative building, warehouse of different purposes, repair facilities, etc.
