On Monday, around 200 German paratroopers landed in Lithuania as part of international military drills, Swift Response 2022 .
According to a press release by the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the troops have flown directly from Germany and are part of the German Swift Response Division (Division Schnelle Kräfte).
Under the scenario of the current annual exercise Rapid Response, around 9,000 troops from 17 NATO and partner countries are conducting five airborne operations in Europe simultaneously.
Allied military aircraft are used to redeploy troops with weapons and equipment from their permanent locations to exercise sites in Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia.
The German airborne unit arriving in Lithuania this morning is tasked with securing the runway at the Gaižiūnai airstrip and facilitating the landing of an additional force of around 300 troops with military equipment, weapons and logistical support.
Following the successful redeployment, the German-Dutch Airborne Battalion will hand over the area to the Lithuanian and NATO Forward Presence Battalion participating in the parallel Iron Wolf 2022-I exercise and will return to their permanent deployment in Germany by the end of the week.
Exercise Rapid Response is planned by the US Army Europe and Africa Command (USAREUR-AF). The Airborne Battalion of the German Airborne Division training in Lithuania during the exercise is attached to the 6th Airborne Brigade of the Polish Armed Forces, which is also leading the units deploying for the exercise in Latvia.
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