Home  /  Newsroom  /  News  /  2022  /  Multinational Division North East tests rapid mobility during exercise Amber Desire

SZCZECIN, Poland - On 25-28 July, Headquarters Multinational Division North East (MND-NE) conducted exercise Amber Desire 22 in order to test the rapid mobility of the unit's command element. The Division's personnel and equipment were deployed from Elbląg, Poland, where MND-NE is headquartered, to Alytus, Lithuania.

Led by Headquarters Multinational Division North East, Amber Desire is a periodic training exercise, and it has been conducted since 2020. Its purpose is to test the ability of a task team with a mobile command element to move anywhere across the Division's Area of Responsibility (Poland and Lithuania) on very short notice. Amber Desire encompasses the Division Headquarters and its subordinate and affiliated units. The exercise helps to improve procedures, cooperation and the capabilities of MND-NE to carry out assigned tasks across the region.

This time, the command elements from HQ MND-NE and the Polish Army 15th Mechanized Brigade alongside the soldiers and vehicles from NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup Poland deployed to Alytus, Lithuania. Both command posts were particularly focused on the further enhancement of their communication procedures.

Additionally, the Polish Brigade soldiers conducted a shooting practice together with their counterparts from the Lithuanian Grand Duchess Birutė Uhlan Battalion, which is part of the Lithuanian Army "Iron Wolf" Brigade. These brigades were affiliated to Multinational Division North East on 29 January 2020.

The Amber Desire training site was jointly visited by the Czech Army Brigadier General Pavel Lipka, Deputy Commander Multinational Division North East and the Lithuanian Army Colonel Arturas Jasinskas, Deputy Commander Lithuanian Land Forces Command.

Amber Desire is held periodically and tests the rapid mobility of MND-NE and its affiliated units.

Lithuanian and Polish soldiers practice marksmanship skills during exercise Amber Desire. 

This exercise reaffirmed the readiness of our units to be deployed anywhere within our Area of Responsibility on very short notice. It has also proven our interoperability with all NATO Allied countries, BG Lipka summarized.

BG Lipka (DCOM MND-NE) and service members from NATO eFP Battlegroup Poland onsite exercise Amber Desire in Lithuania.

As part of exercise Amber Desire, elements of the U.S.-led eFP Battlegroup Poland deployed to Lithuania.

Amber Desire served as an opportunity to enhance the communication procedures between HQ MND-NE and the Polish Army 15th Mechanized Bde.

Placed under Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast, MND-NE coordinates activities of the Lithuanian Iron Wolf and Polish 15th Mechanized Brigades as well as their subordinate eFP Battlegroups. In this way, the Division Headquarters strengthens the integration between NATO's eFP battalions and their respective Host Nation Defence Forces so they can act together in a variety of settings including combat. Operating at a high level of readiness, the Corps' divisional command is prepared to carry out collective defence operations in accordance with Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. For more on Multinational Division North East see:

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