Germany to fund military infrastructure in Lithuania
Germany will invest €110 million ($127 million) in military infrastructure in Lithuania until 2021, its defence minister said on Monday, on a visit to mark two years since NATO installed battalions in the Baltic region to ward off Russia.
In 2017, NATO deployed four multinational battalions to Poland and the Baltic states as a counter against possible Russian action following the 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Germany leads the NATO battalion in Lithuania comprising of 1,200 troops from ten countries.
‘We’re going to invest in the long-term engagement,’ Ursula von der Leyen told reporters, adding that Berlin would invest in ‘common barracks and training fields’ in Lithuania until 2021.
Lithuania’s defence minister Raimundas Karoblis hailed Germany’s spending plans as evidence of commitment to the NATO deployment. ‘We have heard very officially, very clearly at the political level.. that Germany is for the long run here and will stay here as long as the security situation will demand it,’ Karoblis said.
The other three NATO battalions deployed in 2017 are based in Estonia, Latvia and Poland and are led by Britain, Canada and the US, respectively.
The three Baltic states, with a combined population of just 6 million people, were occupied and annexed by Moscow during World War II. They broke free from the Soviet Union in 1991 and joined both the European Union and NATO in 2004.
More from Land Warfare
-
![New uses for proven weapons: adapting the Chain Gun for CUAS]()
New uses for proven weapons: adapting the Chain Gun for CUAS
Northrop Grumman’s M230LF Chain Gun is finding a growing role in countering uncrewed aerial systems, with the 30mm weapon already deployed to Ukraine and adopted by US forces.
-
![KNDS points RCH 155 towards longer-range artillery future]()
KNDS points RCH 155 towards longer-range artillery future
KNDS Deutschland has fitted a tracked RCH 155 with a new KNDS France 155mm/58cal ordnance, opening a potential path towards significantly longer-range artillery and a future beyond the current NATO standard.
-
![Companies downselected for British Army vehicle programme]()
Companies downselected for British Army vehicle programme
It is believed that three companies did not make the downselect but a dark horse in Spain’s Iturri is believed to have got through.
-
![Air defence offerings multiply in anticipation of emerging requirements]()
Air defence offerings multiply in anticipation of emerging requirements
Air defence and counter-drone weapons continue to be developed, tested and demonstrated in anticipation of growing demand, with most solutions designed to be platform-agnostic and readily integrated onto suitable platforms.
-
![September land forces roundup: DVD 2026 puts British Army requirements in the spotlight]()
September land forces roundup: DVD 2026 puts British Army requirements in the spotlight
The US Army began its search for a 155mm tracked mobile tactical cannon in an effort that Shephard forecasts could be worth billions of dollars. Meanwhile, the UK DVD exhibition saw companies showcase their offerings for the British Army’s mobility and air defence requirements.
-
![BAE Systems looks beyond the M113 replacement as it tests 30mm AMPV]()
BAE Systems looks beyond the M113 replacement as it tests 30mm AMPV
The development demonstrates how the platform could provide additional firepower and growth potential while the US Army progresses its long-term replacement for the Bradley.
