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NATO’s multinational battlegroup conducts artillery exercise in Lithuania. The NATO multinational battlegroup in Lithuania recently conducted live-fire drills to test its readiness involving the German Army’s Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) artillery system. The PzH 2000 is a 155 mm self-propelled artillery gun capable of firing several shells a minute. It’s currently in service with several NATO Allies, including Lithuania. The German Army’s Panzerhaubitze 2000 worked alongside artillery units from the Lithuanian Iron Wolf Brigade and multinational forward observer teams to conduct “shoot and scoot” drills, in which the PzH 2000s emerge from cover, execute a fire mission, and shift location before they can be hit with a counter-attack. The exercise held at Pabrade Training Grounds ensures that the NATO multinational battlegroup in Lithuania remains ready to respond to any threats. German Army Lieutenant Colonel Lars Neitzel, Commander, NATO multinational battlegroup in Lithuania ‘Militarily, a live-- firing exercise is always the highlight of every training cycle. So you train to conduct a live-firing exercise. And part of the reassurance, but also of deterrence, is also always to be credible. So credibility, from my perspective, means that you have to show your capabilities, you have to underline the capability that they are effective and they can be used if they are needed. And that’s why, from our perspective, militarily, the live-firing exercise is very important.’ German Army Lieutenant Colonel Lars Neitzel, Commander, NATO multinational battlegroup in Lithuania ‘In a wartime scenario, and also on exercises, we need to be ready to support the Lithuanians with our indirect fire means and obviously also the other way round. So in order to improve the interoperability of the howitzers, but also the maintenance, the supply of ammunition, of fuel and so on, this needs to be trained, this needs to be coordinated. And this is what we are going to do here.’
