A division-level unit will be formally established in the Lithuanian Armed Forces this year, Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas has said.
“Formally, the division will be established this year,” he told TV3 on Monday evening.
The division will be established after amending the laws and will aim to achieve its full operational capability by 2030, the minister added.
According to him, the development of the division will require not only effort but also political consensus, so parties might consider adding a commitment on the planned new military unit to their agreement on defence.
“We are well aware that this is a project not just for our government,” he said.
The cost of building the division will be around 200 million euros annually until 2030, according to Anušauskas.
Officials note that some of the weapons and military equipment purchased by Lithuania are already classified as division-level assets, such as the HIMARS systems procured from the US but new weapons, including tanks, will also have to be acquired.
On Monday, the proposal to establish a division-level unit in the Lithuanian Armed Forces was approved by the State Defence Council.
Anušauskas first voiced plans to create a division on the basis of the Land Force in early March.
A division is a military unit made up of several brigades. The army says Lithuania’s division would consist of some 17,000-18,000 troops.
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