Photo: AP Photo/Michael Sohn
For the first time in its history, Germany is permanently stationing a complete brigade outside its borders - and that on NATO's eastern flank. In Lithuania, only thirty kilometers from the border with Belarus, the 45th Armored Brigade of the Bundeswehr was formed.
German Bundeswehr was formed and permanently stationed in Lithuania one complete brigade. Chancellor Mertz is also coming to the ceremony on that occasion.
One of the most ambitious projects of the German army is becoming a reality: the stationing of almost 5.000 Bundeswehr soldiers in Lithuania. On April 1, the new 45th Armored Brigade was officially formed in the capital, Vilnius. It is the main part of the battle group with which Germany, at the request of Lithuania, secures the eastern wing of NATO - in response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, writes Deutsche says.
Until now, the German ground army had eight brigades, and now a ninth is joining it - this one in Lithuania. The armored brigade in the Bundeswehr numbers between 4.000 and 5.000 soldiers, about 50 tanks, but also light armored reconnaissance units, an engineering platoon, a mine clearance platoon and, of course, complete logistics. It was technically a big challenge for the German army to collect so much equipment, because since Germany finally managed to deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, they were taken from the Bundeswehr and it took time for new ones to start arriving.
A precedent for the German army
German units have been known for some time to stay in joint NATO units for quick interventions in another Alliance country, but this is now a precedent in the history of the Bundeswehr: that brigade should remain permanently stationed in Lithuania. That is why the new coat of arms of the 45th Brigade, which German soldiers wear on their uniforms, also includes the Gediminas Tower, a symbol of Vilnius, as a sign of connection with Lithuania.
"Germany will be ready to defend every square centimeter of NATO territory," emphasized Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) in his first speech in the Bundestag after the change of government. The stationing of the German brigade in Lithuania is, as he said, "a strong message to our partners and a clear signal to any possible adversary."
Lithuania, which has about three million inhabitants, is located between the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Russia's ally Belarus, from which it is separated by almost 680 kilometers of border. Lithuania itself is developing its own armored forces - it has ordered 44 modern German-made Leopard 2 A8 tanks. The same type of tank will be used by the German brigade in Lithuania, which should facilitate cooperation between the two armies.
New barracks and roads
Since the summer of 2023, German Minister Pistorius has been working intensively on the formation of the brigade. First, the brigade headquarters and the first logistics units went there. By the end of the year, it is planned that there will be a total of 5.000 German soldiers in Lithuania.
The infrastructure is still being created: barracks, new roads and the extension of the railway line are being built at the Rudninkaj military training ground, the headquarters of the brigade. Rudninkaj is located in the southeast of Lithuania, about 30 kilometers from the border with Belarus. Schools and kindergartens for families of soldiers are being built in Vilnius and Kaunas.
The permanent stationing of the entire brigade, which will be there in its full composition only until the end of 2027, represents a logistical and financial challenge for both countries. Lithuania has increased its defense budget, and the new German government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) does not intend to skimp on that.
There remains the issue of personnel, given that the Bundeswehr is generally understaffed. It will be a big challenge to find 4.800 soldiers and 200 civilians who will voluntarily want to live in Lithuania for several years.
The Minister of Defense has already prepared for this: in order to make service on NATO's eastern wing more attractive - and in the Bundeswehr in general - he initiated a law that was adopted by the Bundestag at the beginning of the year. The so-called "Milestone Act" (Artikelgesetz Zeitenwende) provides for higher allowances for foreign service and better conditions for missions at home and abroad.
German schools and military posts
The Bundeswehr has been present in Lithuania since 2017, when Germany took command of the NATO multinational battle group, which has been under the command of a new armored brigade since April 1.
The legal basis for the permanent stationing of the brigade is the intergovernmental agreement that Germany and Lithuania signed in September 2024. The goal, as the Lithuanian side emphasizes, is to create "the best possible conditions for German soldiers and their families."
These include the Bundeswehr's right to free use of Lithuanian military facilities, to store weapons and ammunition at its own discretion, and to establish military posts. The opening of kindergartens and schools in the German language is also allowed. Classes are held according to the German curriculum, and the certificates are also recognized in Lithuania.
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