February 5, Rukla, Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonušas Radvila Training Regiment – the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group (eFP BG) was renamed as the NATO Multinational Battle Group (MN BG LTU) and welcomed the 17th rotation at a hand over-take over of command and rotation ceremony. The 17th MN BG LTU rotation will be led by Bundeswehr officer Lt Col Malte Bolanz who succeeds Lt Col Sebastiaan Schillemans of the Netherlands Armed Forces.
“NATO unity is more important than ever in the geopolitical climate of today. We are grateful to every Allied servicemember for contributing to Lithuania’s security. We will continue doing everything necessary to provide to the Allied troops the right conditions for readiness activities in Lithuania and as a sign of appreciation,’ said Vice Minister of National Defence Orijana Mašalė at the changeover ceremony.
The event was attended by Chief of Defence Gen Raimundas Vaikšnoras, Chief of the Defence Staff Lt Gen Remigijus Baltrėnas, Land Force Commander Brig Gen Artūras Radvilas, Commander of the Bundeswehr Joint Forces Operations Command Lt Gen Bernd Schütt, Ambassadors and Defence Attaches of the MN BG contributing nations, command staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and other guests.
Col Aurelijus Motiejūnas, Commander of the Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf which integrates the NATO Multinational Battle Group, said in his welcome address: “This is the first rotation to deploy with the Puma IFVs which will give our troops new experience as you’ll be completing designated tasks through interaction and training. Just like the previous rotations, No. 17th will undergo an intense combat readiness and training period and the main exercise Iron Wolf 2025-I where the MN BG will train active combat, interaction with one of the Brigade battalions and integration in the Brigade C2 chain. High readiness, combat capacity and interoperability are the most important among key elements of deterrence, and therefore the incoming rotation will be challenged to high requirements.”
Lt Col Malte Bolanz has been deployed to lead the Multinational Battle Group Lithuania from the 33 Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Bundeswehr. For the first six months of 2025 he will be in charge of approx. 1600 military personnel deployed to Lithuania with the Leopard 2 tanks, CV90, Puma and Boxer Infantry Fighting Vehicles and the PnZ2000 self-propelled artillery system. Germany contributes the largest portion of the MN BG, the troops in the rotation are sent by Belgium, Check Republic, Croatia, Norway and Luxembourg.
NATO took the decision to deploy forward presence forces at the Warsaw Summit in 2016. The first troops began deploying in Lithuania in the beginning of 2017. The NATO Multinational Battle Group is based in Rukla (Jonava region) and integrated in the Lithuanian Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf. Allied and Lithuanian troops implement a combat readiness training cycle which has been completed by over 20 thousand Allied troops from 9 NATO members states since 2017.
Info credits: Lithuanian Armed Forces.
Photo credits: Sgt Spc Karolis Kavolėlis.
