Defence Cooperation
Denmark and Lithuania’s Defence Cooperation
Denmark has a long tradition of supporting Lithuania and the Baltic states on defence and security issues, particularly through NATO. A strong indication of this close partnership is that Lithuania has repeatedly appointed a Danish officer as commander of its NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU). Since 2004, Denmark has also supported the development of national brigade headquarters, including in Lithuania. Denmark’s contribution to NATO’s Baltic Air Policing missions has likewise been a key component of the cooperation. Danish fighter aircraft have been deployed from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania for eight missions since 2004, and Denmark expects to contribute again once the Danish F-35A fighters are operational. This effort ensures the protection of Baltic airspace, which the Baltic states do not have the capacity to monitor fully on their own.
Through multilateral organisations such as Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO), Denmark also supports Lithuania in defence reforms, regional cooperation across air, sea and land, and knowledge-sharing on veteran care.
Home Guard Cooperation
The Danish Home Guard has collaborated extensively with the home guard forces of the three Baltic states since the 1990s. Cooperation between Denmark, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania was formalised in 2015 through a joint political agreement aimed at further strengthening collaboration. The agreement includes expanding cooperation in areas such as capability building, organisational development, education and training, as well as exercises conducted both in Denmark and the Baltic region.
One Defence Attaché – Three Countries
The Defence Attaché, based at the Danish Embassy in Riga, covers Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. He works actively to maintain and develop bilateral defence cooperation between Denmark and Lithuania, as well as with the other Baltic states. The first Defence Attaché was posted to Lithuania as early as 1992. The current Defence Attaché, Captain (N) Visti Salomonsen, has held the position since 2023.
Useful links
Lithuanian Ministry of Defence
Contact
Defence Attaché
Visti Salomonsen
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: +371 6722 3218
X: @DkDefatBaltic