One of the most ambitious projects of the German military is becoming a reality: the stationing of almost 5.000 Bundeswehr soldiers in Lithuania. The new 1th Armored Brigade was officially formed in the capital Vilnius on April 45. It is the main part of the battle group with which Germany, at the request of Lithuania, is securing NATO's eastern flank - in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The German Army has so far had eight brigades, and now it is being joined by a ninth – this one in Lithuania. An armored brigade in the Bundeswehr has between 4.000 and 5.000 soldiers, around 50 tanks, as well as light armored reconnaissance units, an engineering platoon, a mine clearance platoon and of course complete logistics. For the German army, it was technically a great challenge to assemble so much equipment, because since Germany finally managed to deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, they were taken from the Bundeswehr and it took time for new ones to start arriving.
A precedent for the German army
German units have previously been known to be stationed in NATO's joint rapid response units in another Alliance country, but this is now a precedent in the history of the Bundeswehr: the brigade is to remain permanently stationed in Lithuania. That is why the new coat of arms of the 45th Brigade, which German soldiers wear on their uniforms, also features Gediminas' Tower, the symbol of Vilnius, as a sign of the connection with Lithuania.
"Germany will be ready to defend every square centimeter of NATO territory," stressed Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) in his first speech in the Bundestag after the change of government. The stationing of the German brigade in Lithuania is, he said, "a strong message to our partners and a clear signal to any potential adversary."
Lithuania, which has a population of about three million, is sandwiched between the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Russia’s ally Belarus, which it shares a nearly 680-kilometer border with. Lithuania is also developing its own armored forces, having ordered 44 modern German-made Leopard 2 A8 tanks. The same type of tank will also be used by a German brigade in Lithuania, which should facilitate cooperation between the two armies.
New barracks and roads
Since the summer of 2023, German Minister Pistorius has been working intensively on the formation of the brigade. The brigade headquarters and the first logistics units have been sent there first. By the end of the year, a total of 5.000 German soldiers are planned to be in Lithuania.
Infrastructure is still being created: barracks are being built at the Rudninkai military training ground, the brigade's headquarters, new roads are being built, and the railway line is being extended. Rudninkai is located in the southeast of Lithuania, about 30 kilometers from the border with Belarus. Schools and kindergartens for soldiers' families are being built in Vilnius and Kaunas.
The permanent stationing of an entire brigade, which will not be fully operational until the end of 2027, poses a logistical and financial challenge for both countries. Lithuania has increased its defense budget, and the new German government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has no intention of cutting corners in this regard.
The question of personnel remains, given that the Bundeswehr is generally understaffed. It will be a major challenge to find 4.800 soldiers and 200 civilians who will volunteer to live in Lithuania for several years.
The Minister of Defense has already prepared for this: in order to make service on NATO's eastern flank – and in the Bundeswehr in general – more attractive, he initiated a law that the Bundestag passed at the beginning of the year. The so-called "Turning Point Act" (Artikelgesetz Zeitenwende) provides for higher allowances for service abroad and better conditions for missions at home and abroad.
German schools and military posts
The Bundeswehr has been present in Lithuania since 2017, when Germany took command of the multinational NATO battle group, which has been under the command of a new armored brigade since April 1.
The legal basis for the permanent stationing of the brigade is an intergovernmental agreement signed by Germany and Lithuania in September 2024. The goal, as the Lithuanian side emphasizes, is to create "the best possible conditions for German soldiers and their families."
This includes the right of the Bundeswehr to use Lithuanian military facilities free of charge, to store weapons and ammunition at its discretion, and to establish military posts. The opening of kindergartens and schools in German is also permitted. Classes are held according to the German curriculum, and certificates are recognized in Lithuania.
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