VILNIUS, May 5. /TASS/. Major international exercises dubbed Gelezinis Vilkas (or Iron Wolf), which involve about 3,700 troops from eight NATO countries, are underway in Lithuania, the Baltic nation’s army command said in a statement.
"The Gelezinis Vilkas annual exercise is among the largest international field tactical drills in Lithuania," the statement reads.
The two-week exercise will include some 3,700 troops from the host country Lithuania, as well as a combat group of the NATO forward-based composite battalion stationed in the Baltic country under Germany’s command. The group consists of service members from Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the Czech Republic and Croatia. The drills also involve about 700 pieces of equipment, namely tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery systems, and armored personnel carriers. Military columns will move to the area of the drills along civilian roads passing through several districts.
The main objective of the exercise is to check and maintain the combat readiness of the Gelezinis Vilkas motorized infantry brigade of the Lithuanian army, and practice cooperation with allies during defensive and offensive operations.