Newsletter for the Baltics

Transcription

1 Royal Danish Embassy T. Kosciuskos 36, LT Vilnius Tel: +370 (5) Mob: Fax: +370 (5) The Defence Attaché To Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania Newsletter for the Baltics Week The following information is gathered from usually reliable and open sources, mainly from the Baltic News Service (BNS), respective defence ministries press releases and websites as well as various newspapers, etc.

2 Table of contents THE BALTICS AND RUSSIA... 3 NATO military aircraft scrambled twice last week over Russian military aircraft... 3 Russian warships and aircraft spotted near Latvian borders... 3 THE BALTICS AND EXERCISE... 3 Siil 2018 exercise to bring together over 13,000 soldiers from 13 countries... 3 Estonian conscripts of Kuperjanov infantry battalion to participate in exercise in Latvia... 4 US general observes Iron Wolf II exercise in Lithuania... 4 LITHUANIA... 4 Lithuania plans to raise military salaries... 4 Several hundred Lithuanian troops leave for multinational exercise in Germany... 5 US General: US stops rotating troops in Lithuania but continues sending them to drills... 5 Latvian and Lithuanian officials agrees on the vitally of presence of US troops in the region.. 5 Another seven US military aircraft land at Lithuania s Siauliai military air base... 6 Lithuanian army to set up artillery battalion in Silale district... 6 LATVIA... 6 Parliament supports restricting activities of associations if they are seen as threatening... 6 National Armed Forces to supply border guard with Glock 17 pistols... 6 Kalnins: It is not yet clear whether Russian military units have left Belarus... 7 Another unit of US troops rotated to Latvia... 7 Kucinskis: Zapad manoeuvres cannot be regarded separately from today s security situation 7 No more quick spending boosts for Latvia s military... 8 Latvian Chief of Defence met his Canadian counterpart to discuss future cooperation... 8 Over 2,000 Home Guard soldiers participated in field training cycle Mazais Namejs New secret military mobilisation plan prepared... 9 ESTONIA... 9 Forward observers, British aircraft rehearse cooperation with battle group... 9 Up to 106 Estonian defence personnel to be deployed to missions in Estonian peacekeepers to polish their training in Finland before heading to Lebanon British aircraft to practice cooperation with NATO battle group in Estonia Luik: It should be clear to everyone that attacking Estonia makes no sense Royal Welsh start serving in Estonia as part of NATO battle group German Navy s Mine Countermeasures Squadron visits Tallinn Estonia planning to swap some SAC airlift program hours in

3 THE BALTICS AND RUSSIA NATO military aircraft scrambled twice last week over Russian military aircraft NATO military aircraft serving in the Baltic air-policing mission were last week scrambled twice from Lithuania to intercept Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea. Both times, on 25 October and 27 October, the NATO military aircraft accompanied transport airplanes An-26 flying in the international airspace above the Baltic Sea that had their on-board transponders off but had pre-filed flight plans and maintained contact with air traffic controllers. During the same scramble on 27 October, the aircraft intercepted a transport airplane An-72 with a prefiled flight plan, activated transponder and radio communication with the regional flight control center. Russian warships and aircraft spotted near Latvian borders On 29 October, a Sura class Kilektor 1 mooring/buoy tender was spotted in Latvia s exclusive economic zone, 14 nautical miles from the shore and on 28 October Latvian National Armed Forces detected the sea tug Viktor Konetsky 16 nautical miles from the shore. On the same date, military aircraft policing Baltic airspace detected a Russian An-27 flying over the Baltic Sea near Latvian waters. THE BALTICS AND EXERCISE Siil 2018 exercise to bring together over 13,000 soldiers from 13 countries In all over 13,000 soldiers from 13 countries are to take part in the Siil 2018 (Hedgehog 2018) exercise to be held in South Estonia in the first half of next May. While the two-week exercise starting on May 2, 2018 will take place in the territory of all of Estonia, the focus of activity will be on the Viljandi, Tartu, Valga, Polva and Voru counties. Altogether more than 13,000 members of the defence forces, Kaitseliit (Defence League) volunteers, reservists, allied and partner soldiers from 13 nations will take part in the exercise. During the exercise, both the combat-readiness of the units of the defence forces will be evaluated and performance of combat tasks and cooperation between Kaitseliit and units of the defence forces rehearsed. The training exercise will be divided into three phases: a combat readiness phase lasting until 4 May; an interoperability training, mortar and antitank live-fire exercise phase from 5-7 May; and a phase of training battles from 8-12 May. During the latter, the 2nd Infantry Brigade in conjunction with units from Germany, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and the United States will rehearse action against the mock enemy forces made up of the 1st Infantry Brigade and the NATO Battle Group. 3

4 Estonian conscripts of Kuperjanov infantry battalion to participate in exercise in Latvia On 27 October, an infantry platoon consisting of the conscripts of the Estonian 2nd Infantry Brigade s Kuperjanov infantry battalion participated in the military exercise Sword in Aluksne, Latvia over the weekend. The exercise was organized by the 3rd Brigade of the Latvian volunteer defence corps Home Guard (Zemessardze) and the Estonian infantry platoon is to also operate as part of the brigade during the exercise. The exercise is to focus on defence activities and practicing multi-level command. Participants are to practice interoperability with international as well as Zemessardze s units and other territorial defence units. US general observes Iron Wolf II exercise in Lithuania On 27 October, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, outgoing commander of the US Army Europe, arrived in the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area on Saturday to observe international exercise Iron Wolf II. The drills are attended by about 130 US troops who came from Poland. During the visit, the US general also discussed operations of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania and the international exercises planned for next year, according to the Defence Ministry. The German leadership over the international battalion is exactly what we need, Hodges said in the press release. Hodges met with the Lithuanian Land Forces Commander Brigadier General Valdemaras Rupsys, the German army s Land Forces Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Carsten Jacobsen and Mechanized Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf Colonel Mindaugas Steponavicius. According to the press release, all officers emphasized the successful integration of the international battle group in the Iron Wolf brigade and efficient combat readiness. LITHUANIA Lithuania plans to raise military salaries On 2 November, the Lithuanian government announced its plans to increase military salaries by 30-percent by the end of 2020 compared to The increase in salaries is budgeted to cost over 88 million euros over the next three years, according to a draft budget approved by the Cabinet. Salaries for the military personnel were raised by 5 percent last month. A private currently earns 555 euros per month after taxes. A sergeant is paid 714 euros and a captain earns 1,022 euros. In addition each member of the military service receives 240 euros in monthly meal allowances. Military salaries will be raised in two stages: by 15 percent in and by another 15 percent in The draft budget earmarks 8 million euros for increasing military salaries next year, 39 million euros in 2019 and 41 million euros in

5 Several hundred Lithuanian troops leave for multinational exercise in Germany On 31 October, over 350 Lithuanian troops left for Germany to take part in the multinational exercise Allied Spirit VII. The exercise at NATO s Hohenfels training area will started on 2 November and will run for almost a month. Lithuania s brigade will command the headquarters of a multinational brigade that will also include troops from Slovenia, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the United States, Italy and Germany. Allied Spirit VII is directed by the US Army Europe. Over 2,500 troops are expected to participate. US General: US stops rotating troops in Lithuania but continues sending them to drills On 30 October, The United States have ceased permanent rotation of its Land Forces troops in Lithuania, however, will continue sending them to exercises, says US Lieutenant General Ben Hodges. The US troops participating in the exercise is currently stationed in Poland which currently hosts a US brigade of approximately 4,000 troops as well as another 1,000 troops, mainly Americans, who serve in the international NATO battalion also stationed in Poland. In the Baltic States, companies of US troops have been rotated since 2014 in response to Russia s aggression in Ukraine. In Lithuania, the US troops were stationed in Rukla, central Lithuania, which currently accommodates a German-led international Allied battalion. Hodges further said that despite the fact that there are no longer any American troops living in barracks in Lithuania, the presence of US Special forces will still continue in all of the Baltic States. He elaborated that approximately every month US troops participates ins exercises around the Baltic States. When asked whether US troops could return to Lithuania in the future, he said: I am always open to adjusting that if there is a requirement for it but they are practicing movement all the time, they are exercising all over Eastern European Atlantic Resolve area.. Latvian and Lithuanian officials agrees on the vitally of presence of US troops in the region On 30 October, Vice-Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Neris Germanas, Albinas Zananavicius and Darius Suskevicius held political consultations with the State Secretary of the Latvian Foreign Ministry, Andejs Pildegovics. The consultations addressed bilateral relations between Latvia and Lithuania and the strengthening of security in the region, including energy security and the importance of transatlantic unity was also emphasized. In the context of transatlantic security, the State Secretary highlighted in particular Canada s contribution to reinforcing security in the region in the capacity of the framework nation in Latvia. The parties were also unanimous that the United States contribution to the security of the Baltic States is indispensable; therefore, it is vital that the USA sustains continuous presence of its troops in the region. 5

6 Another seven US military aircraft land at Lithuania s Siauliai military air base On 27 October, seven US F-15 military aircraft landed at the Siauliai military airfield for a training deployment, joining another seven US aircraft currently performing NATO s Baltic air policing mission from the northern Lithuanian air base. This is the largest-ever number of allied fighter jets deployed to Lithuania at a time. The previous record was set in Vita Ramanauskaite, spokeswoman for the defence minister, said that the additional US fighters had been deployed for joint military training by Americans and Lithuanians that would last until 10 November. Lithuanian army to set up artillery battalion in Silale district The Lithuanian Armed Forces has decided to set up an artillery battalion in Pajuris, a small town in the district of Silale, as part of a brigade that is being formed in the western part of the country. The government has given the green light for taking over almost 12 hectares of land from the Silale district municipality. It is planned that the battalion will eventually comprise around 600 troops, with the first ones expected to be deployed in Pajuris next year. This is a big step that shows the development of the entire national defence system, Deputy Defence Minister Giedrimas Jeglinskas stated. LATVIA Parliament supports restricting activities of associations if they are seen as threatening On 2 November, the Parliament supported in the final reading amendments to the Association and Foundation Law, which foresee that the public activities of associations and foundations can be partially or fully halted if their activities are deemed as threatening to national security. The amendments foresee that if their activities pose risks to national security, the activities of these public organizations can been halted for a period of up to two months. On the other hand, if the activities of these organizations certainly pose risks to national security and public order and they committed violations, their activities can be completely halted. The ruling will be made by the Riga Vidzeme District Court after a notification submitted from the Prosecutor General s Office. National Armed Forces to supply border guard with Glock 17 pistols On 2 November, it was announced that the Latvian National Armed Forces had supplied the Border Guard with the first Glock 17 pistols procured as part of rearmament plan. In 2015, the Cabinet of Ministers supported State Border Guard s equipment and arms procurements by 6

7 applying National Armed Forces standards. Furthermore, in accordance with State Defence Concept detailed in the National Armed Forces Law, the State Border guard is to participate in state defence under command of National Armed Forces. During peacetime, National Armed Forces and State Border Guard plan mutual compatibility in armament, equipment and communications, as well as training. The two also coordinate cooperation mechanisms for crisis situations. Kalnins: It is not yet clear whether Russian military units have left Belarus On 2 November, Latvia s National Armed Forces Commander Leonis Kalnins said that it is not clear yet whether or not Russian military units have left Belarus after the conclusion of the Zapad 2017 military exercises. Even though a Ukrainian military commander said in October that Russian military units have remained in Belarus after the conclusion of Zapad, Kalnins said that he is not sure about this, and it is not yet clear whether these units have left or not. Another unit of US troops rotated to Latvia On 1 November, several U.S. Black Hawk helicopters arrived at Riga International Airport as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve in order to boost regional security and demonstrate U.S. presence in the region. The rotation of U.S. troops in Latvia also saw the arrival of more than 60 soldiers from the 3rd Battalion of the 227th Aviation Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division. Backed by the five Black Hawk helicopters, they will be serving at the Latvian Air Forces base in Lielvarde. These troops are replacing soldiers from Task Force Phoenix of the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion of the 10th Aviation Regiment. The soldiers of the 3rd Battalion of the 227th Aviation Regiment will be training alongside servicemen of the Latvian National Armed Forces and the NATO battle group deployed as part of the NATO efp. This U.S. contingent is expected to stay in Latvia for nine months. Kucinskis: Zapad manoeuvres cannot be regarded separately from today s security situation On 1 November, Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis said at a NB8 meeting in Helsinki that Zapad, the joint military exercise of Russian and Belarusian forces, cannot be regarded separately from today s overall security situation. It cannot be regarded separately from today s overall security situation and Russia s actions since the events in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. The scenario and size of the training exercise, its scope and the concentration of forces at NATO s borders, as well as elements of hybrid warfare observed during the exercise suggest of Russia s focused policy it has been consistently following, Kucinskis said. The Latvian premier also warned against underestimating possible hybrid 7

8 threats. I would like to note cooperation with Finland on the creation of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE). Latvia is actively involved in the centre s work. We expect it to provide a significant contribution to hybrid threat analysis, the Latvian Prime Minister said. During his visit to Finland, Kucinskis presented one of Latvia s highest state decorations - the Cross of Recognition - to Lieutenant General Jaakko Sakari Kaukanen of the Finnish Border Guard for his contribution to strengthening security in the region and Latvia in particular. No more quick spending boosts for Latvia s military On 30 October, Latvia s Defence Minister Raimonds Bergmanis said that Latvia s defence budget will reach 2% of GDP next year, as promised to the country s NATO partners. A total 576 million euro will be spent on defence, 126 million more than this year. Latvia s defence priorities are currently developing the Ādaži military base and the combat abilities of the armed forces. Bergmanis stresses that all National Guards will get new equipment by late 2018, and that a new army unit in Latgale has almost been completed. Almost 80% of the defence budget is to go to the National Armed Forces. It planned to boost the number of National Guards to 13,000 from the current 8,000. This will be the most difficult task, as we know about the demographic situation in Latvia. It is difficult for us to compete with the private sector. But I see that we are quite successful at that, Bergmanis. Politicians are evasive over increasing the defence budget above the 2% cap, however it is now prioritized that Latvia develop its own military-industrial complex and that the army accordingly buys as much equipment as it can from local companies. Latvian Chief of Defence met his Canadian counterpart to discuss future cooperation On 30 October, Latvian Chief of Defence Leonids Kalnins met with Commander of the Canadian Army Paul Wynnyk to discuss international security, issues related with deployment of Canadian troops in Latvia, including infrastructure development and possible future cooperation initiatives. Wynnyk visited the multinational military exercise Silver Arrow held in Adazi military field, where also the Candian-led NATO battle group participated. The aim of the exercise is to boost the interoperability of National Armed Forces and the Allied troops. Another goal of it is to conduct integrated joint planning, defence operation and combat support element training. Over 2,000 Home Guard soldiers participated in field training cycle Mazais Namejs 2017 Between the 19 and 29 October Home Guard soldiers participated in the recent Mazais Namejs 2017 tactical field training cycle in Latvia. Defence Minister Raimonds Bergmanis 8

9 thanked all the Home Guard soldiers who participated in the exercises to improve their military skills and strengthen Latvia s defensive capabilities. The increase in activity by Home Guard soldiers and the growing interest in joining the forces is a direct confirmation that we wish and are capable of defending Latvia and take responsibility for protecting the nation. I am very satisfied about this, Bergmanis said. New secret military mobilisation plan prepared On 29 October, it was announced that the Latvian Defence Ministry has prepared a new army mobilization plan that will replace the plan developed in It has been prepared in accordance with current defence policy documents, Cabinet of Ministers rules and National Armed Forces operational planning documents. The new plan adapts the mobilization planning system in accordance with the current security situation and structural changes within NAF. In accordance with the law, the plan is prepared for emergency situations and in case of war. It includes putting National Armed Forces in full or partial alert, as well as dictate mobilisation organisation, duties, order and material and technical support. Mobilisation includes state military and civil protection activities to prevent threats to the state. It involves National Armed Forces, state civil protection system and national economy. State and legal persons owned material and financial resources, as well as residents material resources, can be used as mobilisation resources in accordance with specially developed plans. ESTONIA Forward observers, British aircraft rehearse cooperation with battle group On 3 November, forward observers from four countries held an exercise with British aircraft this week in the provision of air support to ground units of the NATO battle group in Estonian airspace. Forward observers from Estonia, Britain, Latvia and Slovenia took part in the exercise in interaction with Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons that lasted from Tuesday to Friday, military spokespeople said. The aircraft arrived at the Amari air base on Tuesday. The main goal of the exercise is to improve cooperation between the pilot and the observer. Estonian Air Force Chief of Staff Col. Riivo Valge, standing in for the commander of the Air Force, said that the second major goal on the exercise was to rehearse the prompt transfer of an air force unit from one end of Europe to another, acceptance of the unit at the air base and control of airborne activity by the Estonian Air Operations Center. 9

10 Up to 106 Estonian defence personnel to be deployed to missions in 2018 On 2 November, the Estonian government passed the draft resolutions of the parliament that will extend the participation of Estonia in nine international missions through the deployment of up to 106 personnel per rotation. In addition, up to 220 active service Estonian military personnel will be assigned to readiness units. The plan is to deploy up to 66 Estonian soldiers to UN missions in Mali, Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East. Up to 14 active servicemen will take part in three NATO led operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Iraq. Up to 16 active service personnel will participate in European Union led operations in Mali and the Mediterranean region. Up to 10 servicemen will participate in the U.S. led anti-isil military operations by the coalition of the willing in Iraq. In addition, plans are to assign up to 200 active service personnel to the NATO Response Force, and also, for the first time, up to 20 active servicemen to the United Kingdom led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). In both cases, active service personnel will be stationed in Estonia during the response period. Estonian peacekeepers to polish their training in Finland before heading to Lebanon On 1 November, the Estonian contingent heading to the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL in Lebanon at the end of November is this week finishing their training ahead of the mission at the peacekeeping operations training centre of the Pori Brigade of the Finnish Army. The Estonian troops under the instruction of Finnish instructors practiced carrying out patrols, handling mass disturbances, work at headquarters, and other skills necessary for going on a peacekeeping mission. In addition, the troops were acquainted with the cultural and political characteristics of the region of the peacekeeping mission and the equipment, weaponry and vehicles in used in the Irish-Finnish battalion. The Estonian contingent Estcon-7, which is serving with UNIFIL as part of the Irish-Finnish battalion, consists of the ESTPLA-24 infantry platoon as well as staff officers and non-commissioned officers. The core of the contingent is the ESTPLA- 24 infantry platoon, which is made up on the basis of the 1st Infantry Brigade s Scouts Battalion s staff and support company. The Estonian contingent in Lebanon is made up of approximately 40 military troops. The task of the Estonian unit at the mission in Lebanon is monitoring, patrols, staffing check posts, peacekeeping operations, during which they will also cooperate with the Lebanese armed forces. British aircraft to practice cooperation with NATO battle group in Estonia A squadron of the Royal Air Force consisting of four Eurofighter Typhoons arrived in Estonia on 31 October. The fighters are to practice air-to-surface-type joint activities with an infantry on land until 3 November. In the course of the exercise, low-altitude flights will be conducted, at an altitude of at least 152 meters. The main goal of the exercise is to practice cooperation between a squadron and infantry units of the NATO battle group, Chief of Staff of the Estonian Air Force acting in the capacity of Air Force Commander Col. Riivo Valge said. 10

11 Work at Tapa shows that Estonia can effectively arrange host nation support On 30 October, Estonia s Defence Minister opened the extension of the Tapa campus. In his speech he stressed that the rapid completion of the extension of the Tapa military base demonstrates that if necessary, Estonia can quickly and effectively arrange the provision of host nation support and logistical support for allies. The new extension includes three barracks, a dining facility, maintenance and study building and service buildings - with a total area of approximately 38,000 square meters. As of this fall, the Tapa base includes eight barracks, three of which are used by allies. Two more barracks and auxiliary structures for the maintenance of equipment and training are to be completed at the Tapa compound by the end of Luik: It should be clear to everyone that attacking Estonia makes no sense On 29 October, Minister of Defence Juri Luik, stated in his opening remarks at the 37 th Executive Course in National Defence at Roosta that at present, it should be clear to everyone that it makes no sense to attack Estonia. Luik said that this year Estonia has made a very big step forward in ensuring their security. According to Luik, the allied forces stationed here since April strengthen both the military defence of Estonia and deterrence, which is one of the central mainstays of Estonian security. Speaking about developments in the field of defence in the European Union, Luik said that even though the EU will obviously never become a military organization such as NATO, the fresh breath that the EU is getting in defence policy offers possibilities to strengthen European security. Royal Welsh start serving in Estonia as part of NATO battle group At a ceremony, which took place on 30 October at the Tapa military base, Commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion of the Estonian Defence Forces Col. Veiko- Vello Palm welcomed the soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Welsh who will replace the British unit and serve in the NATO battle group with French and Danish soldiers. The battle group conducts training in Estonia as part of Estonia s 1st Infantry Brigade. German Navy s Mine Countermeasures Squadron visits Tallinn On 27 October, the German Navy s 3rd Mine Countermeasures Squadron consisting of five vessels arrived on a planned visit to Tallinn. Before reaching Tallinn, the squadron carried out a search, identification and clearance operation for historical mines in Estonian waters, during which ten World War I era mines were cleared near Paldiski. Head of the Mine Countermeasures Squadron Cmdr. Martin Schwarz met with the heads of the Estonian Defence Forces and representatives of the German Embassy. The military vessels that docked at the 11

12 Mine Harbour in Tallinn stayed in Estonia until 30 October. Estonia planning to swap some SAC airlift program hours in 2017 On 27 October, it was made public that Estonia used only part of the flight hours allocated to it under the NATO Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) program in The unused flight hours are planned to be swapped with other countries. This November, Estonia is planning to use the SAC program flight hours to transport military personnel and equipment to Lebanon. The rest of the flight hours will be mediated according to agreements between countries. The activity of mediating flight hours is possible in the framework of the SAC program and it will be taken into account when planning the flight hours for the next period or organizing the instalment payments of countries, spokespeople for the Estonian Ministry of Defence said. Newsletter was prepared by Anders Faarup Nielsen (intern, Tallinn), Jakob Greve Kromann (intern, Riga), Jacob Dalsgaard Pedersen and Leah Elizabeth Winther Hamborg (interns, Vilnius) 12