One of the founders of the Lithuanian army has said the Defence Minister, Juozas Olekas’s position that a professional army is sufficient and conscription is not needed is irresponsible in current international conditions.
Juozas Olekas EN
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Juozas Olekas (born October 30, 1955) is a Lithuanian surgeon and politician, a former Minister of National Defence, from 2006 to 2008. In 1990 and from 2003 to 2004 he also served as the Health Minister.
When Lithuania had huddled up under NATO’s wing, it felt more secure and even unconcerned as to where it would get more funding for its army or how it could modernize it. The events in Georgia and Ukraine, however, jolted the Baltic country out of its lethargy and forced it to look at how it can str...
On Monday, the latest list of Lithuanian men selected for the draft will be published. Though the list will include 3,000 men, 600 have already volunteered to fill those positions. Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas expressed his hope that, in 2016, the Lithuanian military's draft requiremen...
Lithuania paid a higher price for the Javelin anti-tank rockets it recently purchased from the United States than Estonia did. Government officials, however, said the price difference was due to more-modern equipment and additional undisclosed agreements.
The Lithuanian army is to transfer 500 AK-4s, the weapons currently used by Lithuanian soldiers, to the Lithuanian Riflemen‘s Union, a non-profit organisation supported by the State.
The Lithuanian Land Force in Western Lithuania are establishing a second motorised infantry brigade with its headquarters in Klaipėda.
On 1 January 2016, Vilnius residents and guests will be able to attend a solemn ceremony on Gediminas Tower to mark the day in 1919 when the Lithuanian tricolour flag used today was first flown.
At the beginning of the year, Lithuania's Ministry of National Defence released a booklet for civilians and military personnel alike called Prepare to Survive Emergencies and War with tips on surviving hostile invasions and other calamities. Now, the ministry has released an updated version with new...
Defence Minister Juozas Olekas said that he expects all 3,000 places for compulsory military service to be filled by volunteers next year.
Lithuania won a reduction of a third on the initial price of the Boxer armoured fighting vehicles it ordered, said Defence Minister Juozas Olekas on LRT programme Dėmesio centre. However, they were still the priciest option.
Defence Minister Juozas Olekas has welcomed the 2016 budget passed by parliament on Thursday which raises defence spending by one third.
On 3 December, Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas discussed his recent visit in the US, assistance to Ukraine, participation in multinational operations and other security and defence issues at a meeting with Ambassador of the United States in Lithuania Deborah A. McCarthy, the Ministry of N...
Lithuania's National Defence Minister Juozas Olekas says that the army's decision which infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to purchase will depend on several factors, such as safety, power, prices, and delivery time.
Lithuanian defence minister invites Canada to continue contributing to assurance measures in Baltics
On 20 November, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas met with Minister of National Defence of Canada Harjit Sajjan while attending the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, the Lithuanian ministry reports.
Lithuania could accept 6,000-8,000 NATO troops without logistics problems, defence minister says (2)
According to Lithuania's National Defence Minister Juozas Olekas, Lithuania at the moment would be ready to accept 6,000-8,000 NATO troops without any major logistical issues.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Juozas Olekas, Latvian Defence Minister Raimonds Bergmanis and Estonian Economic Affairs and Communications Minister Kristen Michal electronically signed a memorandum on cooperation in cyber security on Wednesday.
NATO member states are considering stationing 4,000 soldiers in its member states bordering Russia. The move is intended to deter Russia from venturesome actions against eastern NATO member states.
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence has received two new governmental proposals to purchase infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) from the United States and Poland. As a result, the Ministry decided to carry out additional analysis and referred to companies which had submitted information earlier...
Lithuania's Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas says that the UK's decision to send army units to the Baltic states and Poland is a reaction to Russia's actions in the region, therefore Moscow's statements about reciprocal steps are misleading.
Lithuania has decided to buy several dozen self-propelled howitzers Pzh2000 from Germany. Representatives of the Lithuanian and German Defence Ministries are scheduled to sign the deal in Vilnius on Tuesday.
