Defence Staff (Lithuania)
Defence Staff | |
---|---|
Gynybos štabas | |
Lithuania Armed Forces | |
Branch | Joint |
Type | Staff |
Role | Operational command and strategic planning |
Garrison/HQ | Vilnius |
Commanders | |
Chief of the Defence Staff | Mindaugas Steponavičius |
The Defence Staff (Lithuanian: Gynybos štabas) is the main staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Since 2008, the staff reports to the Chief of Defence. Its main tasks are to plan, lead, and support military operations as well as to prepare strategic military plans.
Names
The Defence Staff was known by different names during its history:
- General Staff (Generalinis štabas) in 1918–1924[1]
- Supreme Staff (Vyriausiasis štabas) in 1924–1935[1]
- Army Staff (Kariuomenės štabas) in 1935–1940[1]
- Defence Staff (Gynybos štabas) in 1991–1992, 1996–2008,[2] since 2018[3]
- Joint Staff (Jungtinis štabas) in 1992–1993, 2008–2018[2]
- Staff of the Armed Forces (Ginkluotųjų pajėgų štabas) in 1993–1994[2]
- General Staff (Generalinis štabas) in 1994–1996[2]
Interwar Lithuania (1918–1940)
Lithuania declared independence in February 1918. The first order to organize the Lithuanian Army was issued by Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras on 11 November 1918.[4] The same order established the General Staff. The staff was initially located in Vilnius but had to evacuate to Kaunas at the outbreak of the Lithuanian–Soviet War.[5]
The General Staff had four main operative departments in charge of mobilization and organization of military units, information gathering, military operations and education, and logistics (supply, communications, transport).
After the wars, the military took steps in raising qualifications of the officers. Since Lithuania did not have its on staff college, most promising officers were sent to study at the War College and the Military Intendant School (Vojenská intendantská škola) in Prague because Czechoslovakia was a small friendly nation therefore its military education more closely matched the realities of Lithuania.[5] Few other officers were sent to Italian, French, Belgian, German military academies. In 1932, Lithuania reorganized its own Higher Officers' Courses to a staff college.[5] Three classes of officers graduated before 1940.[7] At the time, out of 125 officers in the General Staff, most had appropriate military education.[5]
After military reforms of
Restoration and NATO
Lithuania
On 23 April 2008, the new Joint Staff under the Armed Forces was created to handle operational tasks.[10] It was to employ 140 people.[11] The old Defence Staff continued to handle strategic planning[10] until May 2011 when it was replaced by general director of capabilities and armaments.[12] The main objective of the Joint Staff is to plan, lead, and support military operations, including international cooperation missions (e.g. International Security Assistance Force or Kosovo Force), of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.[10] The staff coordinates activities of all branches of the military. Another task of the Joint Staff was preparing the Lithuanian military doctrine.[10] The first doctrine was approved and adopted in March 2010.[13] The Joint Staff was renamed the Defence Staff on 1 January 2018. It continues to handle operational functions and also assumed the strategic planning functions.[3]
Chiefs
The Chief of the Defence Staff is nominated by the Chief of Defence and approved by the Ministry of National Defence.[2] Since September 2020, the Chief of the Defence Staff is Mindaugas Steponavičius. The chiefs are usually rotated every three to five years.[14]
References
- ^ S2CID 240254565.
- ^ a b c d e f Jonevičius, Vaclovas (25 January 2019) [2004]. "Gynybos štabas". Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras.
- ^ a b "Reorganizuotas Lietuvos kariuomenės Jungtinis štabas tampa Gynybos štabu" (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos kariuomenė. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "Karinių jūrų pajėgų kariai minėjo Lietuvos kariuomenės dieną" (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos kariuomenė. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ ISSN 1392-5156. Archived from the originalon 19 May 2008.
- ISSN 2029-4565.[permanent dead link]
- ISBN 978-609-8074-87-1.
- ^ Knezys, Stasys (2004). "Lietuvos kariuomenės naikinimas (1940 m. birželio 15 d.–1941 m.)" (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos gyventojų genocido ir rezistencijos tyrimo centras. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Gynybos štabas. Istorija" (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos Respublikos krašto apsaugos ministerija. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
- ^ a b c d Alonderis, Arūnas; Štrimas, Gustavas (2008). "Jungtinis štabas: dabartis ir perspektyvos" (PDF). Kardas (in Lithuanian). 6 (435): 2–3.
- ISBN 978-609-412-207-1.
- ^ "KAM pajėgumų ir ginkluotės generaliniu direktoriumi tapo A.Leika" (in Lithuanian). Respublika.lt. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ Volovoj, Vadim (4 May 2010). "Pirmoji Lietuvos karinė doktrina" (in Lithuanian). Technologijos.lt. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ Jačauskas, Ignas (24 September 2020). "Gynybos štabui vadovaus Mindaugas Steponavičius" (in Lithuanian). 15min.lt. Retrieved 11 April 2021.