On September 25 Vice Minister of National Defence Margiris Abukevičius took part at DV Day of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Exercise Joint Protector 2021 in Sweden. According to Vice Minister, the exercise is a very important stage of JEF development which results in a substantial contribution to European security, and as for Lithuania, it is one of the primary means of response to any kind of crisis.
“Exercise Joint Protector presents a practical test of cooperation between JEF countries in the event of any crisis. Particularly a hybrid one. The exercise has been properly planned and it consolidates the commitment of JEF partner nations to increase interoperability by means of regular training and exercises. The scenario of exercise is suitable for application against any aggressor,” said Vice Minister M. Abukevičius.
The DV Day in Sweden was also attended by Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Chair of the Committee on National Security and Defence of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Chief of the Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Brigadier General Mindaugas Steponavičius, and representatives of the institution of the President , Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
The United Kingdom-led capability is a high-readiness multinational, approx. 10,000 strong unit. Led by the United Kingdom as the Framework Nation, the JEF is formed by naval, air and land capabilities contributed by 10 Northern European Partner Nations.
One of the 10 JEF Partner Nations, Lithuania currently has approx. 140 troops of the Grand Duchess Birutė Ulan Battalion, Lithuanian Armed Forces Mechanized Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf, and attached medical and engineer capabilities assigned for the JEF. Lithuania also has a staff officer declared who has been serving with the JEF operational headquarters in Northwood, UK, since early 2016.
One of the primary JEF forms of activity is training in joint JEF exercises and training events. The JEF area of focus is the Baltic Sea region, the High North, and the North Atlantic region. The JEF may be activated in support of NATO or UN operations. The JEF can form a task force depending on the task and situation and every Partner Nation is able to decide its contribution according to its national legislation.
Running in the United Kingdom and Sweden on September 16–26, Exercise Joint Protector 2021 trains military and civilian JEF forces from Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, UK, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway Finland and Sweden.
The exercise objective is to train JEF capabilities to carry out planning of procedures and provide command of response to hybrid threats in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea regions. The international command-post exercise focuses on migration, energy, the Nordic region, and other challenges.
Photo credits: MoD
