LITHUANIAN RESPONSE TO NIGHT VISION DEVICES ROADMAP

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000498

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2015
TAGS: MASS ETTC MARR PREL LH
SUBJECT: LITHUANIAN RESPONSE TO NIGHT VISION DEVICES ROADMAP

REF: SECSTATE 80617

Classified By: Political/Economic Officer Alexander Titolo for reasons
1.4 (b) & (d)

(C) We delivered reftel points regarding Night Vision Devices
on May 6 to Gediminas Varvuolis, Head of the MFA's NATO
Division, Alvydas Kunigelis, Acting Director of the MOD's
Department of International Relations, and LTC Gintautas
Zinkevicius, Commander of the Lithuanian-led PRT deploying to
Chaghcharan, Afghanistan. Zinkevicius said that he hopes to
move to the "smartest technology" in the future, but that for
the time being the 1250 FOM NVD's that Lithuanian PRT members
plan to use, but have still not formally requested, are
"smart enough." Zinkevicius and Varvuolis expressed
satisfaction in having a defined nine-month timetable and
clear roadmap to follow in order to demonstrate their ability
to handle the more sophisticated technology responsibly.
Mull