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Lithuania to place U.S. military equipment for exercises

Xinhua, November 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

Lithuania will be the first Baltic country to place the U.S. military equipment brought to the region for military exercises, announced the Lithuanian defense ministry on Friday.

According to a press release from the ministry, the military equipment, including U.S. armored vehicles and other military material, are to be prepositioned in Lithuania as of December.

Juozas Olekas, Lithuanian defense minister, said the U.S. decision to preposition the equipment in Lithuania was the result of efforts to create a close cooperation between the allies.

"We have done all the homework it took to provide the most favorable training and logistical conditions as possible to our allies seeking the deployment of rotational forces in our country," said Olekas in the press release.

Olekas told local media, the United States was to preposition in Lithuania the largest part of the military equipment currently used in the region but didn't reveal the exact number.

At the end of October, a new shift of U.S. rotational forces of around 230 troops brought 70 vehicles, including five Abrams battle tanks and 13 Bradley armored fighting vehicles.

Commenting to ELTA news agency, Olekas said the U.S. military equipment was for military exercises, but didn't deny the possibility it could be used in the event of a military conflict.

"Principally yes, it could be used, since every soldier who is present here and has the equipment, can operate that equipment," Olekas told ELTA.

In June, the United States announced it would send around 250 tanks, fighting vehicles and howitzers to Eastern Europe, including the Baltics.

U.S. rotational forces have been present in Lithuania and attending joint military exercises since early 2014 in response to the changed security situation in Eastern Europe amid conflicts in Eastern Ukraine. Endit