The first troops of the German brigade being deployed to Lithuania arrived at the seaport of Klaipėda on Sunday.
The forward command element of the 41st tank brigade from Germany’s first tank division came by ferry from Kiel.
The unit consists of about 100 military personnel and a few dozen pieces of equipment for command, protection, communications, intelligence, and logistics.
From Klaipėda, the German troops went to Rukla in the central district of Jonava.
“We greatly appreciate Germany’s leadership in this action, and this commitment is of great importance for our country,” Brigadier General Artūras Radvilas, commander of the Lithuanian Land Force, told reporters.
“We know that it requires a lot of effort and preparatory work, but we are committed to working closely together and taking the necessary steps,” he added. “We are ready to provide the necessary conditions for the deployment, the troops and the equipment.”
Brigadier General Christian Nawrat, the brigade’s commander, noted that NATO has stepped up its commitments in response to increased security challenges in the wake of Russia”s invasion of Ukraine.
“We have also devoted some efforts to the security of the eastern flank,” Nawrat said. “Our message to our allies here, on the eastern flank, is that we are committed to ensuring security.”
Germany and Lithuania plan to discuss this week a timetable for military exercises.
“In the coming week, we’ll discuss future exercises, which will take place as soon as possible, and deploy forces for them,” the brigade’s commander said.
A senior German officer, who spoke to BNS on condition of anonymity, said that the tentative plan was to hold exercises for individual units of the German brigade in Lithuania in October, December, March, and June.
According to Nawrat, the forward command element of the 41st tank brigade will be stationed in Lithuania until next summer, after which another brigade will arrive on a rotational basis.
“I’m sure that we’ll find solutions for the future,” he said asked about plans to permanently deploy Germany’s brigade to Lithuania.
German and Lithuanian leaders agreed in June on the assignment of a German brigade to Lithuania.
NATO has also confirmed its intention to upgrade to brigade level, if necessary, the multi-national battalions deployed to the alliance’s eastern flank in 2017 and later.
Lithuanian officials say the necessary infrastructure for the German brigade’s full deployment in the country can be put in place by 2025.
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