Other events in Baltic States

Multinational exercise "Amber Hope 2011" Lithuania will host on June 13-23 will involve all the branches of armed forces – land, naval, air and special operations. In the period of the exercise they will operate as an integrated multinational peace support forces, reports BC the press service of the National Defence Ministry.

Land component during the Exercise will train at the Lithuanian Armed Forces Pabrades Training Area, maritime component – at the Baltic Sea, air component – in Kairiu and Pabrades Training Areas and over the Baltic Sea, Special Operations troops will improve their skills at Pabrades Training Area and seaside.

On the basis of the Exercise scenario generated in close relation to the ongoing NATO and the EU operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, and drawn to real-life conditions to the maximum extent, the training will put to test readiness of troops to take part in the contemporary NATO-led operations in multinational environment.

Land component of the Exercise will consist of two multinational battalions, engineer and protection from mass destruction weapons platoons. In Amber Hope 2011 it will be the biggest military unit in number.

Troops of the land component will train conducting live firing, suppressing riot, medical evacuation, escort, convoy, patrolling, and other tasks.

Air component will support participating units by integrated air operations. It will conduct close air support (CAS) operations, imitate air raids and air support operations, air surveillance, medical evacuation and airlift of the injured, search and rescue operations (SAR), tactical air lift (TAL). Air operations will involve two helicopters of the Lithuanian Air Force Mi-8 and two light assault aircrafts L-39 ZA.

According to the maritime component plan of the Amber Hope 2011 scenario six vessels of the Lithuanian Naval Force (LNF), harbour cutter H21, and the Sea and Coastal Surveillance Service will participate in the training.

The Exercise will also train readiness of ship crews and staff officers to respond to a changing situation in the process of naval operation at sea on the basis of a military conflict scenario.

Exercise "Amber Hope 2011" will proceed in two phases. During the first phase from June 13 to 18 participating military personnel will improve procedures related to tactical warships manoeuvring in formations, water-surface object detection and observation, battle with above-water targets, search and neutralisation of naval mines, artillery fire at sea, etc. The aim of the phase is to coordinate ability of several ships to implement joint military operations in an integral unit. In this phase special operations and air components will train together with warships.

During the following stage on June 19-23 maritime component will operate according to an established scenario. Personnel of the maritime component will act in two groups. One of them will conduct maritime assistance and at-sea defence operations, the other – a fictitious assault and diversions.

The Sea and Coastal Surveillance Service of the Lithuanian Naval Force will execute reinforced maritime surveillance from naval observation posts, record suspicions actions of the fictitious enemy at sea. Maritime component will operate jointly with the special operations component, hostile forces at sea will be played by harbour cutter H21 and search and rescue vessel "Sakiai".

Multinational exercise Amber Hope 2011 will involve around 2,2 thousand military and civilian personnel from 9 NATO member countries- Estonia, the USA, Canada, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania and Norway, and two Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries NATO partners – Georgia and Finland. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Ukraine are expected to delegate to the Exercise.

Lithuania will be represented by personnel from all the branches of the Lithuanian Armed Forces –the Land Force, the Air Force, the Naval Force and the Special Operations Forces, representatives from the Public Security Service and the Lithuanian Red Cross Society.

Goal of the Exercise "Amber Hope 2011" is to enhance cooperation among the military divisions of the Partnership for Peace and NATO countries while training to take part in joint crisis response operations and strengthen military cooperation between NATO and partners of the Alliance.

"Amber Hope 2011" will also improve and evaluate readiness of the Lithuanian Armed Forces to deliver Host Nation Support (HNS) to incoming forces.