Joint battalion shows capability to act on one's own - Estonian minister 
23.04.2008
TALLINN, Apr 23, BNS - The creation of a joint Baltic infantry battalion shows that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania can supply units to foreign missions that are capable of acting also on their own, Estonian Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo said.
Aaviksoo on Wednesday visited the Intelligent Wolf staff exercise of the joint Baltic infantry battalion held at the simulation center of the Estonian National Defense College in Tartu, spokespeople for the Defense Ministry said.
In the exercise lasting from Tuesday to Friday the command process and cooperation between staff officers from different countries is dealt with.
This is the sole exercise in Estonia for the battalion being prepared for participation in the NATO Response Force in 2010.
Cooperation within the battalion staff has been smooth despite the fact that the staff brings together officers of three nationalities, said the commander of the battalion, Lithuanian Maj. Remigijus Baltrenas, briefing the Estonian minister.
"Our being able to together form and train a joint infantry battalion shows that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are able to contribute also units to NATO that are capable of acting independently and do not necessarily have to be hosted by large countries in missions," Aaviksoo said.
The minister of defense also looked at the simulation center of the Estonian National Defense College, where command of combat and crisis management can be simulated on different levels of responsibility and in different situation patterns.
A press release by the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said the Tartu exercise would focus on training battalion staff for improved decision making procedures by methods of using maps in tactical exercise, and organizing general staff-level as well as separate subdivision-level consultations. Staff personnel will be introduced to procedures and stabilization operations standard for battalion-level headquarters.
It said this was the second exercise for the three-nation battalion formed in May 2007 to fulfill tasks in the composition of the NATO Response Force.
The battalion will be part of the 14th rotation of the NATO Response Force that will be in readiness in the first half of 2010.
Estonia will contribute to the battalion a mechanized infantry company, a reconnaissance platoon, a logistical support unit and staff officers, in all nearly 200 defense forces personnel.
The various units of the battalion are scheduled to exercise joint action at the Adazi training ground in Latvia next year.
Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8814, sise@bns.ee
 
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