Allies test Orsza plan in Brave Griffin exercises against potential threat

During the Brave Griffin 24/II exercises, Poland, Lithuania, and allied forces put the Orsza plan to the test. This scenario envisions defending against Russia's attempt to connect Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia by land with the rest of NATO. These Polish-Lithuanian exercises form part of the larger NATO Steadfast Defender exercises, which see the participation of 90,000 soldiers from 30 countries.

The exercises in Lithuania, specifically in the areas of Druskininkai, Alytus, and Orany, unfold over several phases. The General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces has shared that a week-long training period will commence following a phase dedicated to testing the swift redeployment of units and their ability to regain battle readiness.

Around 1,500 soldiers and 200 pieces of military equipment are involved, including forces from Lithuania (notably from the Lithuanian Žemaitija/Gryf Brigade), Poland (the 15th Giżycko Mechanized Brigade), and a NATO Battalion Battle Group with soldiers from Portugal and the United States. The Presidents of Poland and Lithuania were among the observers for some maneuvers.

The 15th Giżycko Mechanized Brigade, which is contributing elements to the exercises, is equipped with a mix of very modern and somewhat older gear. The latter category includes equipment such as the aged BRDM-2 armored cars and 2S1 Goździk howitzers (with a considerable number of these artillery pieces having been supplied by Poland to Ukraine), as well as PT-91 Twardy tanks.

The 15th Brigade is also being supplied with the latest Polish military hardware, which includes K2 Black Panther tanks, self-propelled M120 Rak mortars, and SPZR Poprad anti-aircraft setups.

This equipment has been developed by the company PIT-RADWAR, employing the AMZ Żubr field chassis. It's equipped with a quad launcher for Grom/Piorun anti-aircraft missiles. It is capable of hitting air targets up to about 3.4 miles away and at altitudes up to 2.2 miles, categorizing the system as VSHORAD (very short-range air defense).

Target detection is managed by the tracking-targeting head, which is outfitted with a sensor suite that includes a thermal imaging camera, a daylight camera, and a laser rangefinder.