RUKLA, Lithuania - enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Lithuania started the Field Training Exercise Beowulf in the training area of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Pabrade in eastern Lithuania on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018.

Over 600 soldiers from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic and Luxembourg as well as 250 vehicles, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, recovery trucks and jeeps are participating in the exercise.

"In this exercise a high intensity scenario is executed to train all aspects of combat warfare in order to be ready for the scenarios presented during the IRON WOLF exercise," said Lieutenant Colonel René Braun, Commander of the enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Lithuania. "Even though soldiers are well trained, this can be very demanding for them, especially in bad weather," he added.

The exercise includes combat training, where each unit will practice both attacking and defending. Among other things tactics of combat support like river crossing operations, integration of combat service support elements and in-theatre maintenance will be practiced.

Exercise BEOWULF is being held in preparation for Brigade-level exercise IRON WOLF which begins in November and where the different Battalions of the Iron Wolf Brigade train against each other.

"We will evaluate exercise BEOWULF thoroughly, and then I will have to decide what we can improve for IRON WOLF. What I really want to achieve here is that every single soldier learns what he can do better and puts it into practice in the following Brigade exercise," said Lieutenant Colonel Braun.

Story by enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Lithuania