The Bundeswehr’s growing Lithuania Brigade has reached another milestone. On Wednesday, the German Panzer Brigade 45 in Kaunas was officially placed under the command of the Multinational Battlegroup Lithuania, the Defence Ministry announced.
This move brings the Lithuania Brigade closer to its goal of becoming an operational combat brigade on NATO’s eastern flank by 2027. A week earlier, Germany had already subordinated two combat battalions-Panzer Battalion 203 from Augustdorf and Panzergrenadier Battalion 122 from Oberviechtach-to the brigade. Those units will stay in Germany until the necessary infrastructure is complete.
“We are taking a big step toward our objective of establishing an operational German combat brigade on the NATO eastern flank by 2027” said Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD). “Today’s subordination of the Multinational Battlegroup Lithuania marks a key milestone. With this, the brigade now comprises three combat battalions”.
After the reorganisation, almost 1,800 personnel of the Lithuania Brigade are stationed on site, including roughly 500 multinational members of the battlegroup. Adding the troops from Panzer Battalion 203 and Panzergrenadier Battalion 122 in Germany brings the brigade’s total strength to about 2,800 soldiers and civilian staff, and it is expected to continue expanding later this year.
The Multinational Battlegroup Lithuania remains a permanent, core element of the Lithuania Brigade, though it will continue to rotate every six months. Germany’s role as the framework nation for the brigade stays unchanged.
