On Monday, the first group of German troops arrived in Lithuania, part of a brigade to be fully deployed within four years.
Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, chief of the German Army, and the headquarters initial command element of the Bundeswehr’s 45th Brigade Lithuania arrived in Vilnius on Monday.
“I am confident that the brigade will not only strengthen Lithuania’s security but also ensure good relations between our countries,” said Cornelius Zimmermann, Germany’s ambassador to Lithuania, at a media conference.
“Lithuania’s security is our security,” he added.
The Lithuanian Defence Ministry has said that the initial command element, which will comprise over 20 military personnel, “will settle in in Vilnius and oversee the planning and military infrastructure conformity requirement agreement”.
“The initial element will keep expanding until the end of the year and will also take charge of providing assistance in moving the military personnel from Germany to the new stationing location.”
One third may come with families
About a third of the German military personnel to be stationed in Lithuania might come with their families, Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas said on Monday.
“The German side knows best the answer to this question; we are ready for any option,”
Kasčiūnas told the media conference.
“Our simulations show the possibility that about a third of the German troops could be with their families. We are preparing for such a scenario, and if it is different, we will be ready for that as well,” he said.
When it comes to infrastructure, Kasčiūnas said that the technical needs would be clear by the end of the year, as set out in the brigade deployment roadmap signed by the Lithuanian and German defence ministers in 2023.
“We have a clear plan in terms of military infrastructure and we are ready to meet the needs when it comes to civilian infrastructure,” the minister said.
Germany has committed to deploying a heavy brigade with three manoeuvre battalions and all necessary enablers, including combat support units.
The brigade will be formed by existing and newly formed units. The 203rd Panzer Battalion based in North Rhine-Westphalia and the 122nd Armoured Infantry Battalion currently based in Bavaria will be moved to Lithuania.
The enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group stationed in Lithuania will be transformed into a multinational battalion and become an integral part of the brigade.
In total, around 5,000 military and civilian personnel are expected to be moved to Lithuania. Some of them will come with their families.
The brigade is expected to be fully formed by the end of 2027.
“They will serve across two locations – Rūdninkai and Rukla; military families will stay in Kaunas and Vilnius; additional logistical hubs will be developed in other areas of Lithuania as well,” according to the Defence Ministry.
Discussions on the deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania started after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Berlin announced its commitment last June. The aim is to beef up the security of Lithuania and the entire eastern flank of NATO.
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