Lithuania begins construction of a base for German troops

20 August, 2024 Construction of the German base in Rudninkai, Lithuania, August 20, 2024. Photo: Reuters Lithuania started constructing a military base near the border with Belarus to permanently deploy a German tank brigade.

Reuters reported on this. Lithuania on Monday started construction of a military base in Rudninkai, near the capital, Vilnius, and only 20 kilometers from Belarus. It is intended to permanently deploy the 45th Brigade of the German Armed Forces.

When completed in 2027, the new military facility is expected to accommodate up to 4,000 combat-ready German troops and their equipment. The Rudninkai base will be the first permanent deployment of German troops abroad since World War II. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius compared the decision to the posting of allied forces in West Germany during the Cold War.

Raimundas Vaiksnoras, Lithuanian chief of defense, estimated the country would spend more than EUR1 billion over the next three years to develop the base in one of the largest construction projects in its history. "The brigade will work as reassurance to our population and as deterrence to push the Russians out," he added.

Infrastructure

The newly created heavy 45th Tank Brigade is to be deployed at the new base. It includes three battalions and logistics units.

The core of the Brigade is the 203rd Tank Battalion and the 122nd Mechanized Battalion, which are armed with Leopard 2A6 tanks and Puma infantry fighting vehicles. Reuters noted that the brigade could be equipped with the latest Leopard 2A8s as part of a parliamentary rearmament project.

Soldiers of the 122nd Mechanized Battalion. Photo credits: Panzergrenadierbataillon 122

The military facility in Rudninkai should receive all the necessary infrastructure for the proper storage and maintenance of tanks and other equipment, as well as shooting ranges and other infrastructure to support the combat capability of the military contingent.

In addition to the above four thousand soldiers, about a thousand more will be deployed to other facilities in Lithuania.

Reuters journalists noted that only a fifth of the buildings in Rudninkai have been approved for construction so far, which could indicate a potential delay in the construction schedule.

Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said that his ministry would sign contracts for the remaining work by the end of this year.