Dutch and Lithuanian defence leaders will meet bilaterally at the Ministry of National Defence. They will address regional security and bilateral cooperation in defence. Ministers and Chiefs of Defence will also discuss the affairs concerning the NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battalion Battlegroup deployed in Lithuania which includes Dutch servicemembers and equipment.
Following the bilateral meeting Defence Ministers and Chiefs f Defence of both countries will proceed to Rukla where the NATO eFP Battallion Battlegroup is based to meet with its leadership and Dutch troops. The NATO eFP Battlegroup and Lithuanian soldiers will give a dynamic display of an exercise episode for the guests at Gaižiūnai Training Area.
The Netherlands have assigned over 250 soldiers to the German-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion deployed in Rukla, Lithuania. The Dutch contingent brought roughly 40 military vehicles, including CV 90 infantry fighting vehicles, Fennek reconnaissance vehicles, Boxer multirole vehicles, armoured recovery vehicles, etc. The Dutch contingent is mainly formed by soldiers serving with the 44th Mechanised Infantry Battalion, 43rd Mechanised Infantry Brigade, Royal Netherlands Army, based in Havelte. They will be replaced by their colleagues with the 13th Brigade in July.
The soldiers assigned to the NATO eFP Battalion Battlegroup are not the only members of the Netherlands Armed Forces. A Royal Netherlands Air Force Detachment has been deployed at Šiauliai Air Base completing the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states with four F-16s. It is the second time the Netherlands is conducting the mission. Dutch pilots have also been deployed to reinforce the mission to Malbork Air Base in Poland in September-December, 2014. Furthermore, two Dutch representatives are posted to the NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU).
