Germany deploys first batch of soldiers for its tank brigade in Lithuania

Europe, News April 10, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

The first group of Germany’s 45th Brigade arrived in Lithuania on April 8, 2024, for permanent deployment to cover NATO’s eastern flank. The German base in Lithuania is set to be fully operational with nearly 5,000 troops by 2027.

The choice to permanently deploy the German contingent was made on December 23, 2023, in light of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The decision is intended to bolster NATO’s presence in nations sharing borders with Russia and Belarus.

Lithuania has a border with the Russian Baltic Sea exclusive of Kaliningrad and Moscow’s close ally Belarus. The German army, or Bundeswehr, said this makes Lithuania the most exposed state on NATO’s eastern flank.

The brigade, named Panzer Brigade 45, is the first-ever brigade of the German military to be permanently stationed outside the country. It is a newly created unit that consists of three battalions and logistics units.

“This marks the inaugural instance of us permanently stationing such a unit outside Germany,” remarked German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during a farewell ceremony in Berlin.

Berlin plans to dispatch two combat troop battalions from the German regions of Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia to establish the foundation of the forthcoming Lithuania brigade. The third battalion will constitute a multinational NATO battle unit, operating within the alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence force.

NATO enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup German troops — ^{German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda visit German troops of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Pabrade, Lithuania June 7, 2022. (Image Credit: Andreas Rinke/Reuters)}

“I know there is still a lot to do, including on-site. The infrastructure has to be right, the barracks have to be there, the accommodation,” Pistorius said. “There is still a lot to be done on the Lithuanian side,” the minister added. “We will do everything we can to equip the brigade as it needs to be equipped from the outset.”

Germany already has a battlegroup stationed in Lithuania that comprises more than 1,000 troops. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, NATO has been focusing on bolstering its defense in the Baltic region due to its proximity to Russian borders.

Lithuania has been the most active NATO member state to raise concerns about the security situation on its borders. After Vilnius’s repeated request to station combat troops, Germany pledged to have a full brigade ready to defend Lithuania in case of an attack.

In the past, Germany had been brushing off Vilnius’s request to station a brigade in Lithuania by quoting the lack of necessary infrastructure. Berlin said it would take Lithuania years to provide barracks, housing areas for families, depots, and training grounds to host large numbers of troops.