The combat brigade of the German Armed Forces, intended for permanent deployment in Lithuania, will not become a regular army brigade. On the contrary, its individual elements are planned to be staffed from units of several army brigades, and then integrated into the Lithuanian Bundeswehr brigade. Support units from the medical and sanitary service , joint support forces and cyber command will be added to them. This was announced to the press by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on October 11, 2023.
"We are not talking about the fact that the existing brigade as it is was transferred from Germany to Lithuania. On the contrary, the brigade is assembled from elements already existing in Germany, and then formed in Lithuania. If necessary, support forces join the combat units, as it usually happens," Pistorius said.
Which military units intended for deployment in the Baltic States have not yet been determined. It is reported that clarity will appear by the end of the current 2023, after the completion of planning.
However, according to experts, since the Lithuanian Bundeswehr brigade will be a "heavy combat brigade", it is likely that tank and motorized infantry units of the German Armed Forces will transfer their units. This can lead to the weakening of these combat-ready formations, which as a result will lose not only high-quality equipment, but also trained personnel.
In addition to German servicemen, Dutch and Norwegians may also join the new brigade in Lithuania, which, according to Pistorius, is currently being negotiated.
The Minister of Defense stressed that the principle of voluntariness will apply when forming the brigade. At the same time, B. Pistorius, apparently, leaves a back door for himself in case it is not possible to find only volunteers for all 3,500 military personnel from all the required fields of activity. In particular, it is expected that it will be a difficult task to select trained personnel for individual positions in which the Bundeswehr is experiencing a general shortage.
The schedule for the deployment of the Lithuanian Bundeswehr brigade, according to the Minister, is scheduled to be developed in cooperation with the host country by the end of 2023. Then, in the second quarter of 2024, the brigade command should arrive in Lithuania. The deployment of the formation headquarters is planned for the fourth quarter of the same year, as well as the beginning of the phased transfer of the first units of the Lithuanian brigade. This transfer will be carried out in parallel and as the necessary infrastructure is being built by the Lithuanians. It is expected that by the end of 2024, the number of units in Lithuania will reach "a small three-digit number of military personnel."
Then, in 2025, the new Bundeswehr brigade should be officially commissioned. Here, the minister added that this does not mean that all 3,500 soldiers will also be in place. According to him, even in this case it will depend on the specific infrastructure. In addition, in the medium term, a German combat group with an expanded forward presence will also be integrated into the Lithuanian Bundeswehr brigade, B. Pistorius added.
The area in the vicinity of Vilnius and/or Kaunas is currently being considered as the locations of German military personnel. The German Defense Ministry hopes that the chosen place will be attractive for both military personnel and their family members.
The question of whether, in the end, all military personnel will move to Lithuania with their families, apparently, is not mandatory. So, the minister said that there will be those who will live locally and those who will commute to work. According to him, it will depend on who and how many will volunteer to serve in Lithuania.
According to the materials of the resource esut.de