For the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s membership of NATO and the European Union, and the 75th anniversary of NATO, an interactive exhibition “November. Alpha. Tango. Oscar.” opens at the Energy and Technology Museum on March 29th.
Twenty years ago, 7 European countries, including the Baltic States, joined NATO. The exhibition opening at the Energy and Technology Museum symbolises Lithuania’s long and consistent path in international partnerships. Lithuania, small in area and population, is a leader in intellectual resources – the creation of high technologies.
Ensures safety
NATO was founded 75 years ago, on April 4th 1949. NATO membership has been part of Lithuania’s foreign and security policy objectives since independence.
This year’s special events are organised by the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania, symbolically repeating the historic event of March 29th 2004, when Allied fighter jets landed at The Lithuanian Air Force, Air Base in Šiauliai. The interactive exhibition was supported by the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania, Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and Vilnius City Municipality.
“20 years of being safer, as members of the strongest defence alliance, building our country’s prosperity on a foundation of peace and security. Only in its presence can the state flourish, and the nation and free society unfold in all its strengths, diversity and potential. Today, we also understand that we all share in our joint security, which depends on our own will to defend ourselves. For NATO membership is a tremendous success and a privilege, but it does not make security a given, an exemption from concern and responsibility for what we can each do together as citizens – and together as a society – to contribute to a more secure future. By sharing this daily responsibility, I firmly believe that we will grow stronger and grow as a country.” said Government Chancellor Giedrė Balčytytė.
Open to the public
On 6 April, the Energy and Technical Museum will host a free exhibition presentation event with the participation of the Lithuanian Land Force, the Lithuanian Navy, Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces, Lithuanian Armed Forces engineers, Communications and Information Systems Battalion.
“The feeling of security comes from knowing that we are protected by NATO forces, that our Armed Forces are advanced in terms of both military equipment and competences, that we have significant technological capabilities here in Lithuania, which are extensively used in the European military industry. Therefore, the Museum’s contribution to public education today is very valuable.” said Valdas Benkunskas, Mayor of Vilnius City.
At the outdoor and indoor expositions, the Lithuanian Armed Forces will present the latest technologies used in their work – drones, mine and bomb detectors, X-ray equipment, optics, thermal imaging cameras, rangefinders, also visitors will be allowed to try on a modern soldier’s outfit.
The museum will host discussions on the importance of NATO, the harm of (dis)information, and future warfare, from the modernising soldier’s equipment to artificial intelligence. In the evening, an acoustic concert will be performed by Airman Recruit Ieva Taraskevičiūtė. The event will be free and open to the public.
Innovators
The interactive exhibition features four simulators – parachute, drone suppression, communications and shooting.
“To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s NATO membership, we turned to local industry and pointed out that, although we are a small country in terms of area and population, we are contributing to NATO by developing technologies, innovations and leading intellectual capital,” said Mykolas Bistrickas, Director of the Museum of Energy and Technology.
In a rapidly evolving world, museums are no longer confined to their role as custodians of history. “We introduce visitors to research and production in Lithuania and engage them with engineering through an immersive experience – by transferring informative content into video format, offering visitors hands-on simulators to explore the world of parachute ergonomics, drone damping and other advanced technologies.” he continued.
Contributions from all NATO countries
The title of the exhibition “November. Alpha. Tango. Oscar.” applies the NATO phonetic alphabet, with a specific word for each letter. This standard is used to avoid mistakes or misunderstandings between soldiers, especially if they are from different countries.
The exhibition also includes modern war trophies. NT Service, a telecommunications and communication equipment manufacturer, handed over drone jammers to the Ukrainian army and recovered three drones shot down during the war with Russia.
Exhibits were also loaned and developed by “RSI Europe”, “Ados pro”, “Granta Solutions”, “Brolis Semiconductors”, “ATRI”, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology. Historical exhibits were donated by Vytautas the Great War Museum.
The embassies or honorary consuls of all NATO countries in Lithuania have contributed to the creation of the exhibition – the visitors will see flags of NATO allies, which were handed over to the Museum by their representatives in Lithuania.
The exhibition will be open from March 29th to December 31st, with a public launch event on April 6th.
Implemented by: Energy and Technology Museum
Financed by: Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania, Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, Vilnius City Municipality
Partners: Vytautas the Great War Museum, Lithuanian army, General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, National Museum of Lithuania, NT Service, RSI Europe, Ados pro, Granta Solutions, Brolis Semiconductors, ATRI, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology
Information partner: LRT Kids