Forces on duty

NATO Response Force

On January 1 2010, the trilateral Baltic Battalion (BALTBAT), manned by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia troops has entered the 14 rotation of the NATO Response Force (NRF-14). The trilateral Baltic Battalion for duty in NRF-14 was established in September 2007, and is led by Lithuania. The BALTBAT has been supplied with military elements from Lithuania and Estonia, and with staff personnel from Latvia. Lithuania has assigned two mechanized infantry companies, staff and support company and logistic support company (about 600 troops), Estonia - mechanized infantry company, reconnaissance and logistic support platoons to the Battalion. To support Lithuanian military contingent in NRF-14, Lithuania assigns more than 40 military personnel to various NRF-14 headquarters and to national support element.
BALTBAT will conduct a half-year rotation in the land component of NRF-14 led by Denmark. Infantry brigade, combat and logistic support elements comprise the contingent. NRF-14 land component is multinational and includes personnel from Lithuania, Denmark, Bulgaria, Chezh Republic, Greece, Spain, Italy, the USA, the United Kingdom, Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, Romania and Hungary.
In 2002 the concept of NRF was first endorsed with a declaration of NATO's Heads of State at the Prague Summit. The NRF concept was approved in 2003, and the initial operational capability was reached in 2005. NRF is the first step towards a new NATO, capable to give effective response to all types of threats. NATO Reaction Force has integrated a fully interoperable land, air and sea components under the command of one headquarters. After passed decision to employ NRF it is available for rapid deployment as a collective defence. Within the full spectrum of NATO missions, the NRF is capable of performing all types of operations rating from high intensity combat operations, counter terrorism and crisis management operations to humanitarian assistance and evacuation operations. It does not mean that the NRF will be the only NATO operational force, they will deploy as an initial entry force capable to deploy to the region of operations within five to thirty days from the making the decision, and facilitating the arrival of larger follow-up forces.

European Union Battle Group

On January 1 2010, Lithuanian troops entered a six-month standby in the European Union rapid reaction battle group (EUBG).
Lithuanian contingent contributed a motorized infantry company with support platoon, civil - military cooperation group (prepared by National Defence Volunteer Forces), military police section, personnel, assigned to multinational staff and national support element - a total of 150 personnel have entered the EUBG. Poland, Latvia, Slovakia and Germany are other countries represented in this battle group.
EUBG conception was approved in 2004. Germany, the United Kingdom and France released the concept of the battle group. The initial ideas for the European Union rapid response battle group began at the European Council summit in Helsinki. In 2003 the conception of rapid response force was produced and it was approved in 2004.
Battle groups are high readiness multinational forces that can be rapidly deployed and sustained in a theatre of operations. EUBG are intended to be deployed within 5-10 days and it must be sustainable for at least 30 days, which could be extended to 120 days. Approximately 2 000 troops compose EUBG; these battle groups capable to deploy to any location beyond the borders of the EU at 6 thousand kilometers radius around Brussels.