Lithuanian military. Department of Training and Personnel

Army of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia.

In 20 years of independence, the construction of the Armed Forces has never attracted as much attention as in 2011. There is even more of it than at the dawn of its formation: in 1991, everyone understood that their own army was needed, so it was built without attracting unnecessary noise. 20 years later, priorities have not changed, and taxpayers are not fundamentally opposed to the "man with a gun." But the attitude towards professional defenders, the principles of formation and the budget of the Armed Forces in the state has changed significantly.

No one in Lithuania dared to speak critically about the Ministry of Defense and its subordinate institutions. Perhaps that is why the careers of all the leaders of the Ministry of Defense developed extremely successfully in the future.

Engineer Linas Antanas Linkevičius, who worked as Minister of Defense in the “golden” years of 2000-2001 in the XI government and in 2001-2004 in the XII government, later became Lithuania’s ambassador to NATO, and in 2011 - adviser to the prime minister on security issues. Microsurgeon Juozas Olekas, head of the Ministry of Defense in 2006-2008 in the XIV government, is a long-term member of the Seimas.

In this sense, the current Minister of Defense of Lithuania, by the way, also a physician, Yuknyavicheva Rasa, was unlucky. A careerist by nature, she also counted on a qualitative leap up the career ladder. But she faced even more powerful ambitions of the president. The girls' war of "hairpins" broke out over the financing of the army. The minister publicly began to say that the Ministry of Defense budget is half short of the 2% of GDP that other NATO members demand from their partners.

The hint about Grybauskaite’s tendency to economize in everything and her fairly independent foreign policy was more than transparent. However, the president gave a cold shower not only to the Ministry of Defense, but to the whole of Lithuania. It turns out that the agreement on the notorious 2% is just oral and is not spelled out in any NATO document. Having spoken publicly, the president did not close the topic. One could even say that the command “Face!” was heard for the always reserved Lithuanian media. Immediately, publications appeared about the dominance of generals and colonels - for every 3 privates and sergeants there is 1 officer. About non-transparent purchases of equipment and uniforms. About the exorbitantly inflated budgets of military missions, primarily in the Ghor province of Afghanistan.

It turned out that Lithuania, proud of the trust of its NATO partners and caring for the poor Afghans of the Ghor province, spends money on equipping basketball courts, and even tried to plant an oak grove in the sands, the seedlings for which, plus their delivery to Afghanistan, cost taxpayers a pretty penny. Journalists in the bowels of the army, numbering 3.5 thousand people, found three brass bands - an orchestra of the Armed Forces, an orchestra of the Ground Forces and an orchestra of the Air Force. Then they found out that, it turns out, the military spends about 60% of the budget on cash maintenance, without producing any surplus value. For the first time, the question is “do the military spend budget items correctly?” stood up straight...

It must be said that the tactically competent Rasa Juknevičienė did not get into trouble. She publicly promised to clarify all ambiguities, invite an independent audit, and went into the shadows for a while. Therefore, at this stage the score is 1:0 in favor of President Dalia Grybauskaite.

It should be noted that the army loves its Commander-in-Chief. Unlike the “office” Valdas Adamkus or the “large-scale” Algirdas Brazauskas, who did not have enough time for small matters, Grybauskaite often visits military camps and training grounds. She does not cover her ears when shooting and does not timidly shy away from the tracks of transporters. On the contrary, he shoots with obvious pleasure from all types of weapons, sits at the controls of combat vehicles and goes to sea on a frigate - the flagship of the Lithuanian Navy: the Soviet MPC Albatross.

Let Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov not be offended by the parallel, but if he was the “father of soldiers,” then the President of Lithuania is the “mother of soldiers.” It was Grybauskaite who stopped the harmful discussion on the topic “how long can Lithuania be able to resist the aggressor in the event of an attack?” The president’s position: this question can only be posed by those who, for propaganda purposes, are trying to slander everything that has been done in terms of the country’s defense for 20 years. Today's strategic goals of Lithuania are to improve defense plans. And be ready to accept NATO help if needed. By the way, this element is practiced annually at command post exercises with the accented title “Mistress of the Baltic.” In order to fully meet the challenges of the time, the legislation regulating mobilization plans and the creation of a mobilization reserve, as well as a number of other laws, have been changed in Lithuania.

The best illustration of such training is the permanent NATO air police mission based at Zuoknyai airfield in the Siauliai region, the largest military airfield in Europe. 120 million litas were invested in this project. But investments, for example, in surveillance and air control systems will continue for another 5 years. During the entire mission, there was one plane crash: a French Mirage trainer collided in the air with a Lithuanian plane. True, that day became black for the Lithuanian Air Force - they lost 50% of their entire aircraft fleet.

The ideologists of the Ministry of Defense immediately molded the pilot into the image of a hero who took the damaged aircraft to a deserted place. The image of the sergeant who died in Afghanistan is also heroically presented: the propaganda machine portrays him as a true military man who died at a combat post for the sake of the interests of the Motherland.

By the way, about the interests of the Motherland. The Lithuanian military doctrine does not call anyone enemies. It only says that there are challenges that, under certain circumstances, can give rise to aggression on the part of some states. By “some” we must understand Russia first and Belarus second. Officially, there is more and more frequent talk about the need to participate in various NATO military missions. In Lithuania, a special force of 900 people has been formed, which, on a rotating basis, performs peacekeeping duties in “hot” spots. But the main purpose of the special forces is to respond to local attempts to undermine the sovereignty of Lithuania, strengthen the security of the border, the most important government facilities, provide assistance to the population in case of natural disasters and work to save people. To fight terrorists, there is an elite special unit "Aras". At the top of the special forces pyramid is the mysterious “Aitvaras” - “Snake” battalion, about whose tasks there is practically no open information. From indirect sources we can conclude that “Aitvaras” is an elite of elites, designed to carry out special operations behind enemy lines in complete isolation from combat support forces and means. So to speak, the Lithuanian version of the Russian "Alpha" or the American special forces of the CIA.

"Aitvaras" pays a lot of attention to special mountain training, although there are no mountains within a thousand kilometers from Vilnius, and the nearest ones are the easily passable Carpathians. Some military analysts dare to conclude that the “snakes” are being specially prepared for a war in the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iran, if one begins.

A separate area of ​​work of the Ministry of Defense is ensuring the interests of Lithuania in the Baltic Sea. Especially to control various work in the Baltic waters, Lithuania purchased three patrol ships from Denmark, and two minesweepers from Britain. However, due to the financial crisis, the settlement date has been postponed to 2013. But the ships have already been included in the Navy, and the Lithuanian flag has been raised on them.

In general, the topic of armaments and rearmament occupies a separate line. The companies that supplied the army with military second-hand goods at the dawn of independence profited greatly from the needs of the armed forces. For example, they bought armored jeeps for almost a million each, while their residual value did not reach 100 thousand. Today, not a single one of those jeeps remains in service. Outdated uniforms and shoes were brought to Lithuania. The military, in order not to walk around in rags, gladly bought Russian “camouflages” and paratrooper boots, fortunately there was a lot of this stuff left in the corners of Lithuania after the withdrawal of the Russian army.

Over time, the situation changed and more and more modern weapons, equipment, and uniforms began to enter service. However, apart from the equipment, nothing matches the best world standards. That is why the army is forced to spend huge sums on rearmament. For example, despite the crisis, the military received G36 automatic rifles and Glock 17 pistols. However, it’s hard to call these timid steps a rearmament program.

The Lithuanian army does not have missile or tank units or subunits, nor does it have any offensive weapons. Its basis is 3 motorized infantry brigades with small arms and light artillery weapons. There is an air defense division, the main task of which is air cover of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. The Navy is a flotilla of heterogeneous forces, the basis of which is frigates, minesweepers and other 4th class ships. The pre-war pride of Lithuania, the Air Force, is eking out a miserable existence. That is, even by European standards the army is small.

However, it is experiencing serious problems with staffing. The rejection of compulsory military service, legalized in the summer of 2008 by the Social Democratic government, coupled with insufficient funding, significantly bled the units. A shortage of 1,000 people has become a common occurrence for the Armed Forces.

The Ministry of Defense has found a way out in the general preparation of the population for the defense of the country, as required by the Constitution: short-term training and retraining courses are being organized, the structure of the permanent reserve has been changed.

The Lithuanian military also has a sore Achilles heel. The fact is that NATO experts do not classify Lithuania, unlike Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Poland or the Czech Republic, as a country with a rich military history. Well, after the Battle of Grunwald, the Lithuanians were unable to prove themselves in a single battle. And even under Grunwald, the Lithuanian regiments behaved quite strangely.

The army did not offer any resistance to the USSR in 1940 and 1944, no matter how politicians try to glorify the image of individual fighters against the “Soviet occupation.” The military behaved even worse in 1941 - 1944. Some deserted from the Red Army, some fled to the villages, some began to collaborate with the German administration and the occupation command. Those who fought alone in the so-called partisan underground in 1944 - 1953 also have a not very glorious history. It is still not clear who was more in the forests: romantic patriots or criminals and murderers.

Be that as it may, yesterday, today, military experts have calculated: in order for the army to progress, its budget must be equal to 2% of GDP and increase annually by at least 70 million litas. At the same time, it is necessary to implement programs that had to be abandoned due to the crisis. It is concluded that NATO's capabilities in the region have not weakened, and the reduction in NATO's budget is a temporary phenomenon. Against this background, Lithuania is obliged to make the most of all resources to complete the reorganization of the army and its management.

After the restoration of its independence. The armed forces that existed in Lithuania in ~ - and - years. were called the Army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (lit. Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės kariuomenė), in - gg. - Army of the Republic of the Polish Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (lit.), in - years. - Lithuanian Army (lit. Lietuvos kariuomenė, immediately before liquidation, from July 7 to August 27, 1940, the Lithuanian Army was called the “Lithuanian People’s Army” (lit. Lietuvos liaudies kariuomenė), after which it was reorganized into the 29th Territorial Rifle Corps of the Red Army) .

As of the beginning of 1993, the total number of Lithuanian armed forces was 7 thousand people. .

In 1999, Lithuania joined the NATO peacekeeping operation in Kosovo; at the beginning of July 2009, the contingent was withdrawn. In total, over the course of ten years, about 900 military personnel were sent to the KFOR forces, most of them served as part of the Polish-Ukrainian battalion.

In 2000, the Lithuanian government decided to increase the number of armed forces from 11.5 thousand to 13 thousand military personnel.

In 2002, Lithuania's participation in the NATO military operation in Afghanistan began. The losses of the Lithuanian contingent in Afghanistan amount to 1 serviceman killed and at least 13 wounded. In addition, after an attack on a Lithuanian unit on May 22, 2008, during which 1 Lithuanian soldier was killed and 2 were wounded, three more Lithuanian soldiers refused to continue their military service in Afghanistan and were sent back to Lithuania in June 2008.

In April 2003, Lithuania sent the first 14 military personnel to Iraq; later the number of Lithuanian troops was increased to 130 military personnel. In 2008, the Lithuanian contingent was withdrawn from Iraq. Additionally, in February 2005, Lithuania began participating in the NATO Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I), which lasted until December 2011. In total, 39 Lithuanian military personnel participated in the NATO training mission, training junior officers of the Iraqi Armed Forces and serving on NTM-I headquarters. In total, more than 900 Lithuanian military personnel served in Iraq.

In 2007, an agreement was signed in the city of Panevezys on the creation by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania of an infantry battalion of NATO priority deployment forces ( NATO Response Force) .

On September 15, 2008, conscription for military service was canceled. The last conscripts were transferred to the reserve on July 1, 2009; since 2009, the Lithuanian armed forces have been recruited exclusively on a professional basis.

Recall, military call in Lithuania in 2015 was returned due to “possible aggression against Lithuania by Russia”

In November 2013, a representative of the Department of Strategic Communication of the Lithuanian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Arturas Jasinskas, said that in the event of an attack, the Lithuanian army is “capable of waging an asymmetrical war for a month and waiting for help from the allies.”

Initially, the Lithuanian army was armed with weapons and military equipment from units of the Soviet Army located on the territory of the Lithuanian SSR.

In 1993, Sweden began training military personnel of the Lithuanian army; as of September 3, 2001, 82 officers and specialists were trained and another 20 cadets continued their training

In 1997-1998, the Lithuanian army received a donation of 100 vehicles from the Swiss defense department. The cars were produced no earlier than 1970 and were used for their intended purpose, but remained in good condition.

In 1999, 20 towed 120 mm 2B11 mortars were received from Bulgaria.

Also, in 1999, 40 thousand M-14 rifles were received from the United States under the military assistance program; at the beginning of 2001, a number of rifles that entered service with the Prince Vytautas the Great Jaeger Battalion were upgraded to the level M14L1 .

In addition, in 1999, a decision was made to build a cartridge factory in the village of Viyukai near Kaunas. Production lines were purchased in France, from the company " Sofema" The plant cost Lithuania 220 million litas. In 2005, Lithuanian cartridges were certified by NATO. In 2011, the plant's production capacity was about 20 million rounds of ammunition per year, with a staff of 70 people.

In December 2001, a contract was signed with the American company Lockheed Martin for the supply of 18 Javelin anti-tank systems and 74 missiles for them in the amount of $9.65 million.

At the beginning of 2002, an agreement was concluded on the supply of the TPS-117 radar station from the United States, intended to create the BALTNET system. In September 2004, the first of three radar stations, TRML-3D, was put into operation.

In 2002, an agreement was concluded on the supply of weapons and equipment from the United States for $31 million (8 Stinger surface-to-air launchers and 60 missiles for them, as well as Thales Raytheon Systems TPQ-64 Sentinel targeting radars and 69 HMMWV vehicles). The first 15 Hummers were supposed to enter service in 2005.

In 2002, 72 M101 towed 105 mm howitzers were received from Denmark.

In 2003, with funds provided by the United States under the military assistance program, 69 HMMWV vehicles were purchased for a total cost of 10.5 million dollars (about 27 million litas); the first 24 vehicles were delivered to Lithuania at the beginning of 2005.

On March 30, 2004, NATO fighters began patrolling the airspace of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia ( Operation Baltic Air Policing). As part of the operation, four tactical fighters (two duty pairs) and a NATO aviation technical group (120 military personnel and civilian specialists) are permanently stationed at the Lithuanian Zokniai airbase. The cost of the operation is $20 million per month.

In April 2004, an agreement was concluded with Norway, according to which at the end of 2004, 20 RBS-70 man-portable air defense systems, 260 Mk.3 anti-aircraft missiles and 5 PS-70 "Giraffe" radar stations were received from Norway.

Also, from 2001 to the end of February 2005, 200 M113 armored personnel carriers, previously in service with the Bundeswehr, were transferred to the Lithuanian army from Germany.

In mid-December 2005, a contract was signed with the Finnish company Oy Sisu Auto AB for the purchase of a batch of 50 army off-road trucks SISU E11T and SISU E13TP, equipped with armored cabs with bulletproof glass, underbody protection against mine explosions and a filter ventilation unit. Three types of vehicles were supplied: container ships with a carrying capacity of up to 20 tons, platform tractors for transporting equipment and technical assistance vehicles. The total value of the contract was 69 million litas (about 20 million euros). The first 26 trucks were handed over to the Lithuanian army in August 2007, with deliveries completed in July 2009.

In August 2011, 12 Toyota Land Cruiser 200 armored vehicles and spare parts for them were purchased from the Norwegian company Arctic Trucs Norge AS for 15 million litas (4.4 million euros).

In December 2011, the Lithuanian government entered into a contract worth 31.77 million litas (12.9 million US dollars) to purchase a batch of 12.7 mm Browning M2 QCB heavy machine guns from Norway (worth 22.8 million litas ) and cartridges for them (worth 8.97 million litas).

During 2011, the Lithuanian army received assistance from the United States amounting to about 13.1 million litas; The volume of US military assistance during 2012 was set at about 31.6 million litas (about 12.8 million US dollars). The range of supplies includes military and training equipment, communications equipment, personal protective equipment, drones, optical instruments and night vision devices.

In the fall of 2012, a contract was signed for the supply of equipment and military equipment from the Netherlands to the Lithuanian army in the amount of about 10 million litas. The range of deliveries includes trucks with containers for communications and control, refueling vehicles, snow removal equipment for cleaning runways, and dump trucks.

In the period from 1994 to 2013, over 300 Lithuanian military personnel were trained in military educational institutions of Germany

In 2013, the United States transferred equipment and military equipment with a total value of $8.6 million (unmanned aerial vehicles, communications equipment, night vision devices, ammunition, etc.) to the Lithuanian contingent in Afghanistan.

After the withdrawal of the Lithuanian ISAF contingent from the Gore military base in Chagcharan province in the summer of 2013, with the help of the United States, the evacuation to Lithuania of 25 vehicles and other property worth several million litas, previously provided for use by the Lithuanian ISAF contingent under the military assistance program, began.

In 2013, six 105 mm M101 howitzers are expected to be delivered from Denmark to create a coastal defense battery.

In 2001, a press service was created within the Ministry of Defense - the Press and Information Support Service, which publishes three printed publications: the magazine “Karys” (“Warrior”), the newspaper “Savanoris” (“Volunteer”) and the newsletter “Krašto apsauga”. "(National Security). All of them are available for download online in pdf format. In addition, periodicals are available in the units: every three months, with the support of the department, battalions publish their newspapers, and a quarterly magazine is published at the military academy.

November 23, 1918. The flags of all three branches of the Lithuanian Armed Forces - land, air and sea - traditionally fly on Cathedral Square.

The history of the armed forces of the three Baltic republics, as well as the history of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, has much in common. Period of independence between the two world wars, annexation to the USSR, German occupation, re-incorporation into the Soviet Union, declaration of independence in the early 1990s. All of these small states have rather weak armed forces and prefer to rely on their NATO allies.

Latvia

The national armed forces of Latvia can be considered the heirs of the armed forces that existed before 1940 and included four land divisions, a technical division, a navy and various auxiliary units. After the inclusion of Latvia into the USSR, units of the Latvian army were transformed into the 24th Latvian Rifle Corps of the Red Army, which was operationally subordinate to the 27th Army. In August 1991, a law was passed in Latvia on the creation of the first paramilitary force, the National Guard, and after Latvia declared independence, the government began creating the armed forces.

Since 1994, Latvia has actively participated in the NATO Partnership for Peace program. And in March 2004, the republic joined the North Atlantic Alliance. Latvian military personnel participated in various international missions in “hot spots” - in the peacekeeping contingent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the KFOR contingent (Kosovo), in the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq.

In mid-2005, the concept of standard small arms was adopted in Latvia, which provided for the gradual rearmament of the Latvian army with NATO standard weapons. At the same time, first of all, the units participating in the missions of the North Atlantic Alliance, as well as units intended to participate in international operations, were to be equipped with new weapons.

In November 2006, the Latvian army received the first batch of HK G36 assault rifles. In January 2007, universal conscription was abolished and a transition to a professional army took place.

The Latvian armed forces number about 5 thousand military personnel and 10,000 reservists. Including more than 900 in the ground forces, 552 in the Navy, 250 in the Air Force. There are also more than 1,200 civilian employees in the armed forces. The 2012 military budget was 370 million euros.

The Latvian Ground Forces include the following units and units: ground forces infantry brigade, special forces unit, armed forces headquarters battalion, military police, territorial defense forces, logistics department, training department.

In 2015, several CVRT tracked armored personnel carriers were delivered to Latvia, designed to improve the combat effectiveness and mobility of the ground forces infantry brigade. By 2020, the Latvian military should receive 123 of these tracked armored personnel carriers purchased from Great Britain. The Latvian army is also armed with American army all-terrain vehicles Humvee, which have high maneuverability and are suitable for air transport and landing.

Active negotiations are underway with Germany regarding the purchase of Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled artillery mounts and infantry fighting vehicles. And in the summer of 2015, the commander of the Latvian armed forces told the press that his country would purchase Stinger man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems from the United States. It is expected that these MANPADS will be deployed at the largest military training ground in the Baltic countries - the Adazi military base.

The Latvian air force is small. In the early 2000s, two new Mi-8MTV helicopters were purchased, equipped with rescue and search equipment, but also used for transporting personnel, evacuation and supporting special forces. Then two more Mi-8MTVs were acquired. Previously, the Air Force was armed with the Polish training and sports aircraft PZL-104 Wilga, the Czechoslovak universal twin-engine aircraft Let L-410 Turbolet, the Soviet light multi-purpose aircraft An-2, and the Mi-2 helicopter.

It is not surprising that Latvia, which has a very modest air arsenal (as well as Lithuania and Estonia), is forced to use the services of NATO “colleagues” who alternately patrol the airspace of the Baltic republics. Since January 2016, this mission has been carried out by Belgian and Spanish military aircraft flying from a NATO military base in the Lithuanian city of Siauliai.

The Latvian naval forces number 587 military personnel and several ships, whose main task is demining territorial waters, as well as patrolling. The armed forces reserve consists of Latvian citizens who have completed military service (5,000 people). In the event of general mobilization, the army will receive 14 more light infantry battalions, one air defense battalion, one artillery battalion and several auxiliary units.

As of 2012, the strength of the Latvian State Border Guard was 2,500 people, armed with three helicopters, three patrol boats, 12 small patrol boats, 4 motor boats, 2 trucks, 4 buses, 11 off-road minibuses, 22 SUVs, 60 minibuses, 131 passenger cars, 30 ATVs, 17 motorcycles and 7 tractors.

Lithuania

Until 1940, the Lithuanian armed forces were called the Lithuanian Army. After the republic was included in the USSR, it was reorganized into the 29th Territorial Rifle Corps of the Red Army. In January 1992, the Ministry of Regional Protection began its activities. At the same time, the first call for active military service was announced. In November 1992, the re-establishment of the Army of the Republic of Lithuania was proclaimed.

Continuing the traditions of the Lithuanian Troops of the interwar period, many battalions of the modern Lithuanian Army were given the names of regiments of the 1920s and 1930s and their symbols. The modern armed forces of Lithuania consist of ground forces, navy, air force and special operations forces.

In September 2008, conscription for military service was abolished in Lithuania, and the Lithuanian armed forces are now recruited on a professional basis. However, in 2015, conscription was “temporarily” restored - under the pretext of the “Russian threat” and the fact that many units were understaffed. At the same time, young people aged 19 to 26 years are called up, selected using a computer draw.

As of 2011, the military budget of Lithuania was 360 million US dollars (later it increased several times, approaching half a billion dollars), the total number of armed forces was 10,640 career military personnel, 6,700 reservists, another 14.6 thousand served in other paramilitary forces formations.

The ground forces include more than 8 thousand military personnel (a rapid reaction force brigade, 2 motorized infantry battalions, 2 mechanized battalions, an engineer battalion, a military police battalion, a training regiment and several territorial defense units). There are 187 M113A1 armored personnel carriers in service; 10 BRDM-2; 133 105 mm field artillery guns; 61 120-mm mortars, up to 100 84-mm recoilless Carl Gustaf guns, 65 ATGMs, 18 anti-aircraft guns and 20 RBS-70 man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as over 400 anti-tank grenade launchers of various systems.

The Lithuanian Air Force has less than 1,000 personnel, two L-39ZA aircraft, five transport aircraft (two L-410 and three C-27J) and nine Mi-8 transport helicopters. More than 500 people serve in the Lithuanian Navy.

The naval forces are armed with one small anti-submarine ship "project 1124M", three Danish patrol ships of the Fluvefisken class, one Norwegian patrol boat of the Storm class, three patrol boats of other types, two British-built Lindau minesweepers (M53 and M54), one Norwegian-built mine-sweeping force headquarters ship, one survey vessel and one tug. There is also a coast guard (540 personnel and three patrol boats).

Just like the other Baltic republics, Lithuania began cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance under the Partnership for Peace program in 1994, which continued until it joined NATO in March 2004. Lithuanian military personnel took part in missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. After Lithuania joined NATO, the integration of the country's armed forces with the armed forces of other alliance countries began.

In particular, the Lithuanian motorized brigade “Iron Wolf” was included in the Danish division, and in 2007 an agreement was signed on the creation of an infantry battalion of NATO priority deployment forces by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In September 2015, NATO headquarters opened in Vilnius (similar ones were also opened in Estonia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Poland and Romania), which employs 40 military personnel from alliance member countries (primarily Germany, Canada and Poland). One of its main tasks is the coordination of the rapid reaction forces of the North Atlantic Alliance in the event of an international crisis in the region.

Estonia

The modern armed forces of Estonia (Estonian Defense Army) in peacetime number about 5.5 thousand people, of which about 2 thousand are conscripts. The reserve of the Armed Forces is about 30,000 people, which makes it possible to fully staff one infantry brigade, four separate battalions and organize four defensive areas. Additionally, there are more than 12 thousand people who are members of the Defense Union (the so-called Kayt-Seliit, a volunteer paramilitary force).

The Estonian armed forces are recruited on the basis of universal conscription. Young men from 18 to 28 years of age who do not have an exemption and who are Estonian citizens are required to serve 8 months or 11 months of service (certain specialists). The largest part of the armed forces is the ground forces. The priority for their development is the ability to participate in missions outside the national territory and carry out operations to protect the territory of Estonia, including in cooperation with allies.

Along with a number of Soviet-made armored vehicles, the Estonian army is armed with several dozen Swedish Strf 90 infantry fighting vehicles, Finnish armored personnel carriers Patria Pasi XA-180EST and Patria Pasi XA-188.

The main functions of the Estonian Navy are the protection of territorial waters and coastlines, ensuring the safety of maritime navigation, communications and maritime transport in territorial waters and cooperation with the NATO Navy. Naval forces include patrol ships, minesweepers (Sandown class minesweepers), auxiliary ships and coast guard units. Separately, it is worth mentioning the voluntary military organization “Kaitseliit”, subordinate to the Ministry of Defense.

It consists of 15 territorial divisions, the areas of responsibility of which largely coincide with the boundaries of the Estonian counties. This organization takes part in the exercises of the Estonian army, in addition, its activists participate in maintaining public order as voluntary police assistants, take part in extinguishing forest fires and perform some other public functions.

Like the other Baltic states, Estonia is a member of the North Atlantic Alliance and has high hopes for its allies. Thus, in the spring of 2015, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves called for the deployment of NATO forces in the country on a permanent basis (at least a brigade). And over the past year, the Estonian Air Force participated several times in joint exercises with the US Air Force: American attack aircraft flew in the Estonian sky and a training airborne landing was carried out.

A small Estonian contingent took part in the war in Afghanistan as part of the international ISAF force, as well as in the American occupation of Iraq. A small number of Estonian representatives took part in UN, EU and NATO peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, Mali, Kosovo and the Middle East.

Andrey Yashlavsky

Banner of the Lithuanian Army. 1918 - 1940

Lithuanian Army ( Lietuvós kariuómenė) began to form in November 1918, mainly from among Lithuanians - former servicemen of the Russian army who found themselves during the First World War of 1914 - 1918. in German captivity and released from it during the occupation of Lithuanian lands by the German army in 1915 - 1918, as well as territorial self-defense units. Volunteers were recruited into the army, but from January 1919 conscription was announced.

In 1919 - 1920 The Lithuanian Army fought against the Red Army of the RSFSR, the Polish Army and the White Western Volunteer Army (Russian and German volunteers). The Lithuanians lost 1,401 people killed during this period, 2,766 wounded and 829 missing.

On January 15, 1923, units of the Lithuanian Army (1078 people) defeated the French garrison in Memel (Klaipeda). The sides lost 12 Lithuanians, two French and one German policeman killed.

Lithuanian soldiers. 1920s

In the period from 1920 to 1938, the Lithuanian-Polish border was closed. From time to time, minor armed conflicts arose there.

Thus, for 20 years after the end of hostilities in 1920, the Lithuanian Army did not conduct any noticeable military operations with the exception of the peaceful entry of its units into the Vilna region in October 1939.

Over time, the Lithuanian Army began to experience a shortage of qualified commanders, and there was clearly a shortage of officers who had gone through military school in the Russian Empire and volunteer officers from Great Britain, Sweden, Germany and the USA. Therefore, the officer corps began to train at military schools of various levels. To obtain a junior officer rank (junior lieutenant ( jaunesnysis leitenantas)) was required to graduate from the Kaunas Military School founded in 1919 ( Kauno karo mokykla). From 1935, preparations continued for three years. By 1940, 15 graduates graduated from this school. The school was headed by Brigadier General Jonas Juodishus ( Jonas Juodišius).

In order to qualify for senior command positions, staff officers (from major and above) were trained at the Officer Courses of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, founded in 1921. Vytauto Didžiojo karininkų kursai). Until 1940, these courses graduated 500 officers. The courses were led by Brigadier General Stasys Dirmantas ( Stasys Dirmantas).

In addition, some Lithuanian staff officers graduated from military academies abroad - mainly in Belgium and Czechoslovakia.

At the Officer Courses of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas there was a department for the training of military pilots.

NCOs were trained in non-commissioned officer schools attached to the regiments. The training course lasted 8 months.

On June 1, 1940 The Lithuanian army numbered 28,005 people - 2,031 civilians and 26,084 military personnel - 1,728 officers, 2,091 petty officers (non-commissioned officers, junior non-commissioned officers, candidates for non-commissioned officers) and 22,265 soldiers.

The structure of the Lithuanian Armed Forces was as follows:

Higher military command. According to the constitution, the head of all the armed forces of the country was the President of the Republic Antanas Smetona ( Antanas Smetona). Under the president there was an advisory body - the Council of National Defense, which included the chairman of the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Commander-in-Chief, and the head of the army supply service. Minister of Defense Brigadier General Kasis Musteikis ( Kazys Musteikis) was subordinate directly to the president, he was the head of the armed forces and the manager of the country's military budget, and an advisory body, the Military Council, worked under him.

The Commander-in-Chief was subordinate to the Minister of Defense - until April 22, 1940, he was Divisional General Stasis Rashtikis ( Stasys Raštikis), he was replaced by division general Vincas Vitkauskas ( Vincas Vitkauskas).

The General Staff was subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief of the Lithuanian Army.

Local military command. The territory of Lithuania was divided into three divisional military districts. Their commanders were also commanders of infantry divisions. The following county commandant's offices were subordinate to them: Panevezys, Kėdainiai, Ukmerge, Utenos, Zarasai, Rokiskis, Raseiniai, Kaunas, Trakai, Alytus, Mariampolė, Vilkaviški, Šakiai, Seiniai, Biržai, Šiauliai, Mazeikiai, Telšai, Taurage, Kretinga.

In the Vilnius region, after it was annexed to Lithuania in October 1939, there was no time to create commandant’s offices.

Ground Army. The ground army of the Republic of Lithuania in peacetime included three infantry divisions, a cavalry brigade, an armored detachment, an air defense unit, two engineering battalions, and a communications battalion.

Infantry divisions consisted of command, three infantry and one artillery regiments.

The infantry regiments consisted of 2-3 battalions, a mounted reconnaissance platoon, an air defense platoon, an engineer, a chemical platoon, a communications company, a battalion had three rifle (three platoons each), one machine-gun (four machine-gun platoons and a platoon of automatic guns) company, and a regiment had 10 - 15 20mm automatic cannons, 10 - 15 mortars, 150 - 200 light and 70 - 100 heavy machine guns.

The artillery regiments consisted of three groups of two cannon and one howitzer battery each, a battery had four guns and two light machine guns, and a total of 24 75 mm guns and 12 105 mm howitzers in the regiment (exception: 2nd group of the 4th artillery regiment was armed not with 75mm French, but with 18-pound British guns).

In addition to the artillery, the divisions also had a separate Training Artillery Group (300 people) and the 11th Artillery (formerly reserve) Regiment (300 people).

The cavalry brigade consisted of three regiments and was commanded by Brigadier General Kazys Tallat-Kelpsha ( Kazys Tallat-Kelpša ).

Lithuanian cavalry during exercises.

The cavalry brigade existed only nominally and the cavalry regiments were attached to the infantry divisions:

Under the 1st Division: 3rd Dragoon Regiment "Iron Wolf" ( Trečiasis dragūnų Geležinio Vilko pulkas) - 1100 people;

Under the 2nd Division: 1st Hussar Regiment of the Grand Hetman of Lithuania, Prince Jan Radwill ( Pirmasis husarų Lietuvos Didžiojo Etmono Jonušo Radvilos pulkas) - 1028 people;

Under the 3rd Division: 2nd Ulan Regiment of Grand Duchess Biruta ( Antrasis ulonų Lietuvos Kunigaikštienės Birutės pulkas) - 1000 people.

Each cavalry regiment consisted of four saber squadrons, a machine gun squadron, a technical squadron, and a cannon platoon; horse batteries each had 4 76.2 mm guns.
The air defense unit (800 people), created in 1934, included three batteries of three 75mm Vickers-Armstrong anti-aircraft guns, four batteries of 20mm German anti-aircraft guns of the 1928 model, and a searchlight battery.

The armored detachment (500 people) consisted of three tank companies (1st company - 12 French obsolete Renault-17 tanks, 2nd and 3rd companies - 16 new English Vickers-Carden-Lloyd MkIIa tanks each), armored vehicles (six Swedish armored vehicles Landsverk-182).

Lithuanian armored squad on the march. October 1939

The engineering battalions were at the disposal of the army commander.

The 1st battalion (800 people) consisted of three engineering and one training companies;

The 2nd battalion (600 people) consisted of two engineering and one training companies.

The communications battalion (1000 people) served to provide communications to the high military command and consisted of a headquarters communications service, two telephones, two training companies, a dog breeding school and a pigeon post office.

The infantry was armed with rifles of German (Mauser 98-II), Czechoslovakian (Mauser 24), Belgian (Mauser 24/30), Lithuanian (Mauser L - Lithuanian copy of the Belgian rifle) production; German heavy machine guns Maxim 1908 and Maxim 1908/15, Czechoslovak light machine guns Zbrojovka Brno 1926, in total there were approximately 160,000 rifles, 900 heavy and 2,700 light machine guns.
Swiss automatic 20mm Oerlikon cannons were widely used in the Lithuanian Army; even on the Landsverk-181 armored vehicles ordered by Lithuania from Swedish factories, the standard armament was replaced with these guns (this model became known as Landsverk-182). The same gun was installed on a batch of Czechoslovak tanks TNH Prague, which the Lithuanian government ordered and managed to pay for, but did not manage to receive due to the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939.

The Lithuanian Army had 150 20mm Oerlikon cannons, about 100 Stokes-Brandt 81.4mm mortars made in Sweden, nine English anti-aircraft 75mm Vickers-Armstrong cannons, 100 German anti-aircraft 20mm cannons 2cm Flak.28; field artillery was armed with 114 French 75mm field guns (including three Polish-made 1902/26, interned in September 1939), 70 French 105mm and 2 155mm Schneider howitzers, 12 English 18-pounder (83.8mm) guns , 19 Russian 3-inch (76.2 mm) guns model 1902, as well as a large number of Polish 37 mm Bofors anti-tank guns of 1936, which Lithuania received in 1939 as trophies.

Air Force. In addition to foreign models, the Lithuanian Air Force was armed with ANBO aircraft built by Lithuanian designer Antanas Gustaitis ( Antanas Gustaitis), who at the same time headed the republican Air Force with the rank of brigadier general.

Antanas Gustaitis

Organizationally, aviation included a headquarters, a military aviation commandant's office, fighter, bomber and reconnaissance air groups, a military aviation school, a total of 1,300 people. According to the states, each air group was supposed to have three squadrons, but there were only eight squadrons (117 aircraft and 14 20mm anti-aircraft guns):

Lithuanian military pilots. 1937

Training aviation had ANBO-3, ANBO-5, ANBO-51, ANBO-6 and old German aircraft. In total, the Lithuanian Air Force on January 1, 1940 included:

Training: one Albatross J.II (1919), one Albatross C.XV (1919), one Fokker D.VII (1919), two L.V.G. C-VI (1919), five ANBO-3 (1929-32), four ANBO-5 (1931-32), 10 ANBO-51 (1936-40), three ANBO-6 (1933-34), 10 German Bücker -133 Jungmeister (1938-39), two Avro 626 (1937);

Transport and headquarters two English De Havilland DH-89 Dragon Rapid (1937), 1 Lockheed L-5c Vega Lituanika-2 (1936) - a legendary aircraft that crossed the Atlantic, built in the USA with the money of Lithuanian emigrants.

Fighters 7 Italian Fiat CR.20 (1928), 13 French Devoitin D.501 (1936-37), 14 English Gloster Gladiator MkI (1937);

Bombers and reconnaissance aircraft 14 Italian Ansaldo Aizo A.120 (1928), 16 ANBO-4 (1932-35), 17 ANBO-41 (1937-40), 1 ANBO-8 (1939);

Interned in September 1939 were the Polish bomber PZL-46 Som (1939), German fighters Henschel-126 B-1 and Messerschmitt-109c.

Naval forces. The Lithuanian Navy was weak, which was explained by the short length of its maritime border. Even the former German minesweeper was referred to simply as a “warship” in official documents. The warship was in service " President Smetona", border vessel " Partisanas"and six motor boats.

« President Smetona"was built in 1917 in Germany as a minesweeper and was sold to Lithuania in 1927. It was armed with two 20mm Oerlikon cannons and six machine guns. Crew - 76 people. Was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Regional Protection.

Team " President Smetona" 1935

On " Partisanas“There was one Oerlikon cannon and two machine guns.

The remaining ships were unarmed.

In total, 800 people served in the Lithuanian Navy.

Acquisition. Recruitment was carried out on the basis of universal conscription; conscription age 21.5 years, service life 1.5 years, after active service the conscript was on conditional leave for two years and could be called up by order of the Minister of Defense, then transferred to the 1st category reserve, from where he could be called up only upon mobilization announced by the President. After 10 years, the person liable for military service transferred to the 2nd category reserve.

The conscription was held twice a year - May 1 and November 1; The annual contingent of 20,000 young men was not drafted in its entirety, but only 13,000 people, who were determined by drawing lots; the rest were immediately enrolled in the 1st category reserve.

Wartime army. According to mobilization plans, the army was to consist of six infantry divisions and two cavalry brigades. The deployed division by state included:

Management (127 people);
- three infantry regiments of three battalions each (3,314 people per regiment);
- artillery regiment (1748 people);
- motorized air defense company (167 people);
- engineer battalion (649 people);
- communications battalion (373 people).

In total, the wartime division consisted of 13,006 people.

Mobilization aviation increased to 3,799 people, naval forces - to 2,000 people, 1st and 2nd engineer battalions - to 1,500 people, communications battalion - to 2,081 people, cavalry - to 3,500 people.

A total of about 92,000 soldiers and officers. In addition, separate infantry battalions of 1009 people each were formed. Their number was determined by capabilities and needs.

Paramilitary forces. The Border Guard was subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and was divided into eight departments (districts). It included 1,800 people, including 1,200 on the border with the USSR.

Lithuanian Riflemen Union ( Lietuvos šaulių sąjunga) was created in 1918 and performed the functions of the National Guard - protecting government property, providing disaster relief, and assisting the police. In wartime, he was required to perform guard duty at important government and military installations, as well as conduct partisan operations behind enemy lines.

Lithuanian arrows. 1938

Every citizen who has reached the age of 16, completed candidate experience and received recommendations from five members of the Union could become a member of the Union. The head of this formation was Colonel Salagius, and the union reported directly to the General Staff. The Riflemen Union was divided into 24 district detachments of varying sizes: from 1000 to 1500 people with 30 to 50 machine guns.

The total strength of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union on June 1, 1940 consisted of 68,000 people, and its arsenal included 30,000 rifles and 700 machine guns of various systems.

Red Army soldiers and Lithuanian military personnel. Autumn 1940

After the inclusion of Lithuania into the USSR on August 17, 1940, the Lithuanian Army was reorganized into the 29th Lithuanian Territorial Rifle Corps of the Red Army (179th and 184th rifle divisions with a cavalry regiment and an aviation squadron). The corps was headed by the former Commander-in-Chief of the Lithuanian Army, Divisional General Vincas Vitkauskas, who received the rank of lieutenant general in the Red Army.

A significant part of the Lithuanian officers were repressed, and the remaining ones were awarded military ranks of the Red Army in December 1941. However, most of these officers and generals were also arrested in early June 1941.

The servicemen retained their previous uniforms, only replacing the Lithuanian insignia with Soviet military symbols.

The corps, part of the 11th Army of the Baltic Military District, took part in battles with the German army in 1941, but was disbanded in August of the same year due to mass desertion.

The tank park of the former Lithuanian Army was lost by the Red Army during the summer battles of 1941 in the Baltic states.

Ship " President Smetona"was included in the Baltic Fleet of the USSR, renamed "Coral" and took part in hostilities during the Second World War. On January 11, 1945, the ship sank after hitting a mine in the Gulf of Finland.

See: Kudryashov I.Yu. The last army of the republic. The Armed Forces of Lithuania on the eve of the occupation of 1940 // Sergeant Magazine. 1996. No. 1.
See: Rutkiewicz J., Kulikow W. Wojsko litewskie 1918 - 1940. Warszawa, 2002.

Studying military history and military affairs is one of the ways to get in touch with general history. The history of the Lithuanian armed forces, like world military history, is very meaningful. Perhaps for this, Lithuanians should be grateful to their ancestors, who from the very moment the tribes arose did not give rest to either each other or their neighbors. Robberies, battles, wars were almost their way of life. Of course, if we move to present times and look at the newest period, we will be convinced that in modern Lithuania military affairs and military history are at a completely different level. The Lithuanian army, having gone through a very long and difficult path of development, has become modern, equivalent to the armed forces of other countries. One of the attributes of an army that follows the requirements of modernity is the emergence of special forces.

What path have the Lithuanian special forces gone through to reach their current level and earn the recognition of foreign partners?

Special operations and the military units that carry them out are attracting increasing attention from both the military and the public. Since the world practice of such units is still quite new, I assume that there is no doubt that there is interest in this topic. The relevance of the topic is also quite justified. It is enough to turn to the events of 2001, when international terrorism demonstrated its strength with unprecedented clarity and cruelty. The war against this threat required special forces. On a Lithuanian scale, the changes and reorganization carried out in the special forces over the past 4 years cannot go unnoticed. It is also worth keeping in mind that even greater transformations in these troops are planned in the near future. As a result of such reforms, Lithuania can become one of the leaders in the isolation of special forces and their adaptation to the role of separate units against the background of the general armed forces.

Prerequisites for the emergence of special forces
World prerequisites

In the twentieth century, with the growing threat of terrorism in the world, the armed forces of different countries began to look for ways to combat this outwardly invisible and difficult to predict enemy. For this purpose, non-conventional army units were created, recognized to carry out special operations. To effectively combat illegal terrorist groups, such units must be small and flexible, capable of acting especially quickly and innovatively in a changing situation. To gain time, special units must follow simpler planning and operating procedures than a conventional army.

Army units capable of performing special combat missions have performed different tasks at different times in history.

Before the First World War, such units were considered selected light cavalry units that carried out reconnaissance raids and quick attacks behind enemy lines. When the war moved to the positional stage, assault and trench combat teams, which specialized in unexpectedly occupying and suppressing the most dangerous enemy firing points, were awarded the status of special forces.

During the Second World War, reconnaissance and sabotage units for tactical and operational purposes, and mobile assault units can be considered representatives of special forces. At this time, the more widespread use of sea and airborne assault began. At that time, such units were formed on an experimental basis rather than on the model of statutory army units. The functioning of such units was largely based on adventurism. The operations performed had a particularly high degree of risk. Often the military leadership did not formally want to control the course of the military operation. Responsibility for its result rested with the special forces commander himself.

Training before deployment to Afghanistan

With the development of the Cold War, many military units were created in quantity and quality. The shock units remained, but the niche of special operations began to be occupied by completely differently trained units. Their specialization was long-term autonomous activity in a low-intensity conflict zone or behind enemy lines. From the end of World War II until the 70s, this area of ​​activity (modern special forces) gradually became the most in demand (British SAS, US Green Beret operations in Southeast Asia). Purely offensive operations by such units were relatively rare. Contact with the enemy was due only to the inevitability of the situation. A great deal of experience in small units and counter-guerrilla operations has been accumulated. In the event of a global military conflict, unconventional actions carried out by special forces had to be transferred deep behind enemy lines. In this case, special attention should have been paid to the disabling of civilian and military strategic facilities.

Standard of Special Operations Forces

Since the 70s of the twentieth century, another area of ​​​​activity of special forces began to emerge - short-term active and aggressive direct actions. It was no longer necessary to fight only in the jungle and in the countries of the “third world”, but also against “urban partisans”. Criminal and political terrorism came to Europe and the United States, and it was necessary to take measures against it. Increased attention has been paid to units specializing in such measures. This was caused by the first wave of terrorism from leftist radicals and small pro-Islamist groups, which caused many casualties.

Special anti-terrorist groups improved on the battlefield. By the beginning of the 90s, these units had already accumulated invaluable experience. The British are considered the most experienced in the field of special operations, namely their SAS special forces. These troops are trained in a wide range of special operations.

The organizational structure of US ground units is more focused on individual specialized areas, such as the Rangers - an assault unit; The Green Berets are a special operations group designed to operate deep behind the lines; "Delta" - a special purpose anti-terrorist unit; The Navy SEALs are a unit of combat swimmers. However, in the 80s, practice showed that the activities of these troops were not properly coordinated. In 1984, the United States created the Special Forces Operational Command to coordinate special operations plans.

The emergence of special forces is associated with the desire to contrast the human factor with industrialization and the military industry. At the new stage of warfare, it is not large weapons that pose an increasing danger, but an arsenal of small and varied weapons. Now it is not classical troops that can deliver a disproportionate blow, but structures in which political, criminal, religious and military components are intertwined. This forces modern special forces to improve at a qualitative level. At this stage, the connection of such units, that is, complex and collective activity, becomes even more important at this stage. In modern operations, activities and tasks are performed simultaneously at multiple levels.

The emergence of Lithuanian special forces

The beginning of Lithuanian special forces was laid by the current Vytautas the Great Jaeger Battalion. This battalion began to form in 1991.

The history of the formation of the development and consolidation of our special forces is similar to the general evolution of troops of this kind. Having originated as assault units, they turned into professional, well-equipped units capable of performing not only highly specialized, but also complex missions.

Nevertheless, the official emergence of Lithuanian special forces is considered to be 1995, when the decision was made to create a professional counter-terrorism unit. The Special Purpose Department of the Volunteer Regional Security Service (DSOC) was a unit created on the basis of volunteer service. Later, only the name of this department changed, which became known as the Special Purpose Service (SON).

A turning point in the development of Lithuanian special forces occurred after the terrorist attack in the United States on September 11, 2001. All special forces (commandos of the Jaeger battalion, SON soldiers, combat swimmers of the Underwater Action Team (UCT), helicopter unit of the Air Force), which until now had operated separately, were united into the “Aitvaras” formation. The first test of this connection was Operation Lasting Peace, which began in 2002 in Afghanistan. In the course of carrying out joint actions, the squadron coped with the assigned tasks very well and was rated excellent by the military leadership of its foreign partners. At that time, this squadron was not yet permanent; its mobilization took place only by order of the military commander. The last point in the process of unifying special forces was reached in January 2004, when the permanent special operations unit “Aitvaras” was established. It should be emphasized that this became precisely a permanent formation, for the command of which a separate staff was established.

Use of special forces

In cases where peaceful means have been exhausted, and the conflict occurs outside the country, or citizens of a foreign state are involved in it and the use of precisely targeted and unexpected armed force is necessary, the leadership of the state and army command sets the task for special forces military services. According to international standards, elite military units are designed to perform short-term, particularly complex, locally defined and specific tasks. In peacetime, this could be the release of Lithuanian citizens taken hostage in another country, the evacuation of embassy workers and citizens of our country from zones engulfed in armed conflict, the detention of war criminals as part of the implementation of international agreements or assignments, other special operations abroad, security representatives of the highest foreign officials within their country. In the event of a military conflict, the task is to destroy strategic enemy targets, organize ambushes, protect individuals, and reconnaissance and sabotage operations.

Units of the special purpose formation "Aitvaras"
Unit Headquarters

There have been military units in the Lithuanian Armed Forces for quite a long time, on the basis of which, after the terrorist attack in the United States on September 11, 2001, it was decided to form a special operations unit (hereinafter referred to as SSO) “Aitvaras”, intended to perform special tasks, including anti-terrorist ones. Beginning in 2002, the Special Forces, the Jaeger Battalion commandos, the Navy combat swimmers and the Air Force Special Operations Helicopter Unit, hitherto performing their functions separately from each other, began to organize themselves into a flexible or mobile, but not permanent unit, assembled by order of the army commander to perform special tasks of an unconventional nature.

In 2004, the Special Operations Command Headquarters was created, to which SON and the Jaeger Battalion were directly subordinate, and the Navy Underwater Action Team and the Air Force Special Operations Helicopter Unit were transferred to operational subordination. The creation of the headquarters was carried out with the aim of more effectively managing and coordinating the activities of the formation. Its structure is no different from the classic headquarters. The only difference is that here the procedures take slightly less time. Servicemen from the SON, the Jaeger Battalion served at the headquarters, and the opportunity was created for servicemen from the Navy Underwater Action Team and the Air Force Special Operations Helicopter Unit to serve. The main task of the MTR Headquarters is to ensure that the different parts of the formation function effectively and complement each other, rationally using their specialized functions.

Symbols of the MTR headquarters

Insignia and awards

It was not by chance that the special purpose unit became known as “Aitvaras”. Lithuanians often associate military affairs with a romanticized view of the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Lithuanian folklore (traditions, tales, legends) reflects the firmness, determination, strength of the Lithuanian warrior, justice and devotion to his country. Aitvaras is a mythological creature, a flying fiery spirit, guardian of the elements. One of the reasons for choosing this name is related to the mythological properties of Aitvaras, which are associated with his mystery and secrecy, which is closely related to the halo surrounding the special forces. Often the appearance of Aitvaras is described as a fire poker with a sparkling tail flying in the treetops, rarely and unexpectedly shown to people.

In myths, Aitvaras helps good people and punishes bad ones. Consequently, Atvaras is also seen as a symbol of justice.

Aitvaras in the form of a fiery medieval Lithuanian sword is depicted on the patch of the Special Operations Unit “Aitvaras”.

Jaeger Battalion named after. Vytautas the Great

The training unit (Kaunas Company) - a Jaeger battalion, originated in 1991, when a company of the Voluntary Regional Security Service (VLSK) was established in Kaunas. On December 3, 1991, the Kaunas Rapid Reaction Battalion was officially established, which in 1992 became the Kaunas Motorized Landing Battalion of the Geležinis Vilkas (Iron Wolf) Brigade. On October 22, 1993, the Kaunas Motorized Landing Battalion was named after the Third Infantry Regiment. Vytautas the Great and the regimental motto “To you, the Fatherland – our strength and life” was adopted.

However, the real history of the Jaegers begins in 1995, when the battalion began to report not to the brigade, but to the commander of the army, and it was given the name of the Jaeger Battalion. Vytautas the Great. The US Special Forces program began to be used to train the battalion's military personnel. The structure of the battalion began to meet these requirements. Up to that point, the battalion had been performing infantry missions, but after the battalion structure was changed, the largest operational unit became a team using small unit tactics. At the same time, preparations began for carrying out reconnaissance and sabotage missions. When recruiting Alpha Company, which consisted exclusively of professionals, there were specific requirements.

In January 2004, the Jaeger Battalion named after. Vytautas the Great became an integral part of the Special Operations Unit “Aitvaras”. The training of professional military personnel under the commando program was introduced. With the battalion joining the MTR, it was assigned the following tasks: special reconnaissance and observation; analysis and assessment of the combat situation; transfer of information to other special forces units; military assistance; support for MTR units during anti-terrorist operations.

Selection. After the reorganization, new military personnel wishing to join the battalion were required to pass a general selection into the MTR. Only professional military personnel could participate. After selection, special basic reconnaissance training, specialized training (underwater diving, parachute jumping, rappelling from buildings and from a helicopter), and classes in small unit tactics began to be conducted. The battalion's personnel were divided into 4 specialized teams according to the structure of the combat squadron: free-fall paratroopers, a water operations team, heavy weapons teams and a combat operations team in winter conditions or in the mountains. Battalion fighters also began to undergo training in traditional military specialties: grenade launcher, machine gunner, signalman. Much attention began to be paid to the training of snipers. Through extreme training conditions and dedicated work, Jaegers have become elite soldiers.

Armament. The main vehicle is specially manufactured Land Rover Defender all-terrain vehicles, the weapons are reinforced (automatic grenade launchers, mortars, adapted to support the intervention). For operations on the water, commando combat boats began to be used, and for air operations and transportation, special operations helicopters and parachutes were used. The rangers were equipped with special communications equipment, surveillance equipment, satellite radio stations, computer equipment, target indication equipment, and the GPS global positioning system.

Traditions of the Jaeger Battalion named after. Vytautas the Great

The word “jaeger” translated from German means “hunter, shooter.” In the 18th-19th centuries. Chasseurs, along with line infantrymen and grenadiers, were part of infantry military units. The huntsmen were first mentioned during the 30th War (1618-1648). In the army of the Principality of Brandenburg, the best shooters of each company were called huntsmen. The huntsmen made up special teams of shooters. They were staffed by foresters and their children, as well as sharp-shooting warriors. The huntsmen were required to navigate well in the forest and shoot accurately. In 1775, after military reform in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the former banner (company) of the Janissaries was transformed into a company of rangers, subordinate to the Grand Hetman. The banner consisted of 87 warriors. The uniform is a green caftan (mundur), bright red cuffs, white vest and culottes, golden epaulettes. For the battalion, the name of the rangers is a kind of sign of historical continuity.

A special tradition of the Jaeger Battalion is the awarding of the title of Honorary Jaeger. Only the best huntsmen can earn this name. Any soldier could receive the title and the right to wear the “Honorary Huntsman” badge, regardless of assignment or transfer to the reserve. The “Jager” patch, made in yellow letters on a green background, is intended for daily uniforms, and made in silver letters on a khaki background – for field uniforms.

Another tradition of the battalion since 1997 is the presentation of the officer’s Jaeger dagger. The metal part of the handle of this dagger is made in the form of a stylized falcon's head.

Beret cockade

It depicts a falcon, a hunting horn, a dagger and lightning. The falcon and horn are metallic in color, the dagger is silver in color with a black lacquer handle, the lightning bolt is yellow lacquer, the general background of the cockade is green. The hunting horn (horn) symbolizes the subordination of fighters and units, the falcon symbolizes vigilance and speed, as well as the readiness to attack the enemy from the air. The steel dagger symbolizes the huntsman’s firmness, and the lightning symbolizes a lightning-fast reaction to the enemy’s actions.

Service emblem

The blue cape symbolizes the continuity in the battalion of traditions of the troops of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. ON THE background of the cape on the red shield are the heraldic signs of Vytautas the Great: in the upper part of the shield there is the Latin letter V, on the right there is a crossed sword and a spear tip.

Special Purpose Service (SON)

The modern SON began to take shape as part of the Volunteer Regional Protection Service (DSOC). At that time, several officers were sent to the Counter-Terrorism Unit of the French Gendarmerie (GIGN) to gain operational experience. Upon returning to Lithuania, they were tasked with maintaining confidentiality to create a counter-terrorism service within the DSOC, called the Intelligence Unit. The unofficial formation of the service began in 1995. For about two years, volunteer military personnel created a selection and training program. On April 7, 1997, the Special Purposes Division of DSOC was officially established.

Over time, the name of the service and its subordination changed, and after a few years, taking into account emerging tasks and the need for expansion, the department was renamed the Service and began to report directly to the army commander. Since the inception of the Service, SON military personnel have acted as they themselves describe: “<…>we collected and analyzed information about the special forces of different countries, their structure, use, and looked for the option most suitable for Lithuania. At the same time, personnel selection was carried out, various exercises were carried out, preparation for carrying out special tasks, a search for weapons and equipment most suitable for Lithuanian special forces soldiers.”

At the same time, intensive work was carried out; servicemen provided personal protection to guests of the Ministry of Regional Protection and carried out other tasks within the country. When Lithuania joined Operation Lasting Peace in Afghanistan in 2002, SON soldiers successfully fought as part of the Aitvaras expeditionary squadron for two years. The allies praised the level of training of the military and their ability to carry out special operations. When the Special Operations Unit was formed in 2004, SON became an integral part of it.

Tasks. The Special Purpose Service is a counter-terrorist unit of the Lithuanian Army that performed special-purpose tasks and carried out special operations.

The selection could include military personnel who served one year in the Jaeger Battalion, or - in exceptional cases - who participated in international missions. Military personnel who passed the selection were sent for specialized training. Anyone wishing to become a “green” had to go through several stages of selection and basic training. The selected fighters began training in a basic training program, which took a total of about one year and included various courses, depending on their specialization. The applicant could not get into the combat team until all these stages had been completed.

Armament. In addition to standard weapons, SON fighters used weapons more adapted to conducting counter-terrorism operations. They were provided with uniforms designed for close combat, special impenetrable vests, shields, helmets with visors, and searchlights. Depending on the task, sniper weapons of different calibers could be selected - German, Finnish, etc. Among light weapons, submachine guns MP-5N (naval version), MP-5AD - with a silencer were used; gas grenades for various purposes and varying power. SON's arsenal included various grenade launchers, machine guns, automatic rifles, and day and night vision sights. Weapons and ammunition were selected to best suit the operating conditions (eg, non-ricochet ammunition for indoor operations). SON fighters have proven themselves well and have accumulated considerable experience in testing the latest weapons.

Traditions of the Special Purpose Service. "Greens"

A SON service soldier is called a “green.” This name was not chosen by chance. It is connected with an appeal to the history of Lithuania and drawing parallels with the fighters of the armed resistance to Soviet power in 1944-53. The current “greens” have preserved the memory of the post-war freedom fighters not only in name. The organization, discipline, determination and self-sacrifice of the post-war resistance fighters have become excellent examples and motivation for modern “greens” seeking to continue the valiant traditions.

Military salute in memory of post-war soldiers

The name “greens” began to be used officially in 1996, as a tribute to the anti-Soviet resistance that lasted more than 10 years. This name conveys the idea of ​​determination to find a way to act under the most unfavorable circumstances, resolutely striving towards a delineated goal.

Not all SON fighters became “green”. Only those who had a badge indicating the highest military qualifications, impeccable training, psychological stability and moral stability were named this way. Belonging to the “greens” is the highest rating for a SON fighter, awarded only after a long selection process and intensive specialized training. When presenting the badge, the commander uttered a word that had a deep meaning: “don’t let me down.” This meant that a soldier must constantly feel responsible to his land, family, comrades and justify the trust of the state and military command. SON also acquired its own emblem, which depicts arrows, meaning long-range combat (sniper operations), a grenadier symbol - a grenade, symbolizing the use of explosives during operations, and a sword - a symbol of close combat (knives, pistols).

Underwater Action Team (UDT)

The Underwater Action Team (UCT) was founded in 1990. With the arrival of professional divers in the Volunteer Regional Protection Service (VSS), through their efforts, the creation of a training program for new swimmers began, literature, diving equipment and equipment were accumulated. In 1992, these divers were transferred to the Diver Team of the Reconnaissance Detachment of the Klaipeda Battalion (modern Dragoon Battalion) of the "Geležinis Vilkas" (Iron Wolf) brigade. At this time, a training program for military divers was created, important tasks were carried out: mine clearance, search for explosives. In 1996, the Reconnaissance Detachment was renamed the Combat Swimmer Detachment. In 2001, military divers became part of the Navy and became known as the Submarine Action Team (USC).

In 1996, cooperation began with the Special Purpose Service, and the exchange of experience in performing tasks on the water began. Soon, a selection of combat swimmers was organized at the SON base. Military personnel who passed the selection were sent to serve in the KPD, where their training continued. After the events of September 11, 2001, the United States began creating a Special Operations Unit, which was to include the KPD. Thus, the KPD, together with the Aitvaras fighters, began to prepare for anti-terrorist operations. Somewhat later, at the operational level, the KPD began to report to the SOF commander.

KPD objectives: The team's fighters are trained to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage operations, protect water bodies from enemy sabotage actions, conduct land reconnaissance with landings from the water, underwater mine clearance, and inspect ships. Thus, combat divers were trained to perform special operations both in water and on land.

Selection for the combat diver unit was carried out in several stages. First of all, candidates had to pass the general selection for the MTR. After this, basic training for military divers began. Specialization awaited the fighters who completed this course: the opportunity to become a ship diver, an underwater mine clearance specialist, or a combat swimmer.

Armament. For operations on the water (related to special reconnaissance, mining and demining of dangerous objects), combat swimmers used closed and open cycle diving apparatus, wet and dry suits, fins, equipment for underwater navigation, powerful boarding boats, waterproof weapons and radio communications. The main weapons of divers, adapted for carrying underwater, are combat knives and Heckler & Koch submachine guns, model MP-5N (marine version).

Special Operations Unit (SOZ)

Military helicopter pilots began performing reconnaissance operations together with rangers in 1995. The specialization of helicopter pilots in the field of special operations began to be introduced in 1997 in collaboration with soldiers of the special purpose department of the Volunteer Regional Defense Forces (DVOC). Until 2003, the Special Operations Unit of the Helicopter Squadron was formed, to which helicopters and pilots were assigned.

The purpose of the POP is to ensure mobility, efficiency and surprise when performing tasks. The functions of the unit are air reconnaissance, transportation of SON fighters, air support.

Selection. When performing special operations, the helicopter team consisted of a commander, an on-board technician and a machine gunner (in accordance with the specifics of the mission).

Equipment and weapons. The special operations unit used Mi-8 and Mi-8 MTV helicopters operated by the Lithuanian Air Force. The helicopters used in special operations did not have night vision devices, and the communication system was imperfect. Mi-8 helicopters were armed with aircraft missiles designed to destroy ground targets. Machine guns were mounted on both sides of the helicopter, and high-velocity six-barreled machine guns could also be mounted.

Unwritten rules of special forces

Lithuanian special forces, like their colleagues in other countries, have their own code of honor. Fighters are guided by unwritten but important rules. The Lithuanian special forces try to combine two often contradictory principles: freedom and discipline. A fighter must be proactive, have internal freedom and independence of thought and at the same time be able to obey and respect both higher and lower ranks. In all special forces units, the tradition of “baptism”, a kind of initiation, has become widespread, which, of course, is kept secret. The principle of honor for the fighters of the Unit was the statement: “if at least one SON fighter is in the ranks, then the unit is alive and will fight to the end.”

Special forces in international missions

Since 1994, members of the Jaeger battalion have constantly taken part in peacekeeping missions in Croatia and Kosovo, and since 2002 - in Operation Lasting Peace in Afghanistan. The Kosovo mission and the Afghanistan mission differed significantly in their nature and objectives. In Kosovo, rangers did not have the opportunity to test their strength as special forces soldiers. Our commandos experienced their baptism of fire in Afghanistan, fulfilling their mission as part of the “Aitvaras” squadron together with the “greens” and combat swimmers. Such interaction between the fighters guaranteed the success and effectiveness of the Afghan mission. In this mission, particularly modern weapons and equipment were used, something that could only be dreamed of in Kosovo.

The composition of the Aitvaras squadrons heading to Afghanistan was different. The first two squadrons included “greens” from SON and huntsmen, and the third mostly consisted of “greens” and KPD combat swimmers. During the first mission, which lasted 6 months, the squadron's fighters carried out mainly combat reconnaissance, although direct action also occurred. The third squadron carried out much more intensive operations, of which only a minority was special reconnaissance, and the rest was direct action (when the specific goal and task are known; the operation is unexpected and quick, designed to detain or neutralize the intended object). The information collected by the Lithuanians during special intelligence operations mainly concerned terrorist groups and their commanders.

Armament of special operational forces

Different weapons were used for different missions. We tried to purchase what is modern and best suits the price. Compared to similar units in other countries, Lithuanian fighters used adequate weapons. They tried to abandon old weapons that the entire army used to use, for example, Soviet Kalashnikovs, use them only during exercises, and use new models adapted for special operations as the main weapon. The main thing is that the weapon is accurate and reliable.

MTR fighters began to use Glock-17 pistols, Heckler & Koch MP-5 submachine guns (with and without a silencer), Browning machine guns, Carl Gustav anti-tank grenade launchers, 60-mm mortars, disposable and under-barrel grenade launchers, modern German G-36 automatic rifles (various modifications), sniper rifles from the Sako and Gol Sniper companies, range finders, holographic sights, night vision devices from European manufacturers that meet the requirements of special operatives, radio communications (Harris radio stations), which can be used to negotiations both in the air and on the ground, over unlimited distances and in various natural conditions. The use of climbing equipment has begun to overcome obstacles.

The fighters adapted equipment and ammunition to suit themselves in a way that was convenient for them. The tactical vest could easily be reconfigured as it is more flexible and tailored to the needs of the fighter. It was possible to place grenades, shops, radio communications, first aid kits, and flasks on it in various ways. True, the MTR soldiers did not use the flasks familiar to our infantrymen, but camel backs, which were attached to the back, and water was supplied through a special tube. An integral part of the equipment of MTR fighters are bulletproof Kevlar helmets (could also be with a special wide visor to help protect against shots), as well as bulletproof vests (in exceptional cases, vests of the highest 4th degree of protection were used, corresponding to a 7.62 mm shot from an AK). The fighters could not do without such special means as grenades (sound and light), explosives (in order to provide passage, for example, to destroy a wall - but not to destroy the people inside), gases - intoxicating, disorienting, but not destructive impact.

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