Battlegroup 2013-2 operational. Lithuania advocates for its use

(BRUXELLES2) The British battlegroup United Kingdom - permanently in Europe from July 1 - is good for service. He received his certification on May 16 after a final joint exercise at the British Armed Forces training area in Salisbury. This battlegroup, led by the United Kingdom, will be made up of 2200 British, Lithuanian, Latvian, Dutch and Swedish soldiers.

For Lithuania, which will preside over the European Union in the second half of the year, this is an opportunity to show its know-how. This is not the first time that Lithuania has taken part in battlegroups; she has already done so in 2 and 2010 and should be involved in the Nordic battlegroup, led by Sweden, in 2011.

Softer and longer

 The development of the rapid reaction force is one of the "Defence" priorities of the Lithuanian presidency. It should thus be tackled at the December European Council. Our priority is to strengthen EU multinational crisis response capabilities through battlegroups we explain in Vilnius. Lithuania thus promotes more flexible use and over a longer on-call period (…) in order to increase their cost-effectiveness ratio ". She also defends a more equitable distribution of costs related to the activation of Battlegroups between Member States ". But above all the Lithuanian Deputy Defense Minister, Marijus Velička, pleaded for the use of these units, “ we should not hesitate and deploy the battlegroups in case of threats ».

Rest assured, you will not be used!

This non-use of European battlegroups, the British Minister in charge of international security, Andrew Murrison, during a speech in front of the soldiers of the battalion, raised it, in a somewhat ironic way. Addressing the soldiers who had just finished their exercise, he told them: "  You are our real capability and we have no illusion that you might not be called upon to carry out the tasks you have demonstrated so well today. And if member states decide to use you for real you would do extraordinary good job for us and for security  "...

Note: an international seminar on the effectiveness of battlegroups will be organized in London in October 2013.