The Lithuanian society is particularly favorable towards deployment of German military personnel in Lithuania and stationing a brigade, according to a public opinion poll carried out by Spinter Research company on November 17-29 at the request of the Strategic Communications Department of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Poll data reveals the overall approval of the German Brigade stationing in Lithuania at 82% percent, and positive view on the German military at 83%. Contribution of the German Brigade deployment to the Lithuanian security is viewed favorably as well: 76 % of poll respondents agree it will strengthen it and over half think the security improvement will be significant.
When Germany took the decision to assign an enhanced Vigilance Activity (eVA) Brigade to Lithuania in 2022, the eVA 41st Brigade Forward Command Element was deployed at Rukla to conduct exercise planning and ensure smooth arrival of thousands of troops via land, sea and air from Germany. Brigade elements in Lithuania underwent training and exercises alongside Lithuania n and other Allied troops. On 7 December 2023 the eVA Brigades changed over the 21st German Brigade taking the baton.
On 18 December 2023 Lithuania and Germany signed the Action Plan or Roadmap document consolidating further Brigade stationing steps. The German Brigade is planned to arrive gradually starting in 2024 already, with the Full Operational Capability set to be reached in 2027. It is expected to comprise approx. 5 thousand military and civilian personnel, some of them with families due to the lengthy rotation. The Brigade core is planned to be formed of five battalions, including tanks and artillery. Its military personnel will be stationed at Rūdninkai and Rukla, and a part in Vilnius and Kaunas.
The 203rd Panzer Battalion based in North Rhine-Westphalia and the 122nd Armored Infantry Battalion based in Bavaria will be moved to Lithuania to form the Brigade that will also integrate the current enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group Lithuania.
Photo credit SSgt Spc Ieva Budzeikaitė.
