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Lithuanian Armed Forces

The Lithuanian Armed Forces (Lithuanian: Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajėgos) are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Naval Force, the Lithuanian Air Force and the Lithuanian Special Operations Force. In wartime, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (which is under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior in peacetime) becomes part of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. A special security department handles VIP protection and communications security.

Lithuanian Armed Forces
Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajėgos
Insignia of the Lithuanian Armed Forces
Flag of the Lithuanian Armed Forces
Founded23 November 1918
(first armed formations c. 12th century)
Current form25 April 1990
Service branches Land Force
Air Force
Naval Force
Special Operations Force
Volunteer Forces
War time only:
Riflemen's Union
Public Security Service
State Border Guard Service
HeadquartersVilnius
WebsiteOfficial website
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief President Gitanas Nausėda
Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas
Chief of Defence General Valdemaras Rupšys
Personnel
Military age18–55
Conscription9 months
Available for
military service
890,074 males, age 16–49 (2016 est.),
875,780 females, age 16–49 (2016 est.)
Fit for
military service
669,111 males, age 16–49 (2016 est.),
724,803 females, age 16–49 (2016 est.)
Reaching military
age annually
20,425 males (2016 est.),
19,527 females (2016 est.)
Active personnel23,000 (2021)[1][a]
14,150 paramilitary (2021)[2][b]
Reserve personnelActive reserve 28,000, total reserve 104,000 (2021)[1]
Expenditures
Budget€2.1 billion
(2024)[3]
Percent of GDP2.77% (2024)[3]
Industry
Foreign suppliers Denmark
 Finland
 France
 Germany
 Israel
 Norway
 Poland
 Spain
 Sweden
 United Kingdom
 United States
Related articles
History1918–20 Lithuanian Wars of Independence
1944–53 Lithuanian partisans
1994 Bosnian War
2001–2021 War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
2003–2008 Invasion of Iraq
2004–Present Kosovo Force
2013–Present EUTM Mali
2013–Present Operation Atalanta
2014 Operation Sangaris
2015–present EU Navfor Med
2017–present MINUSMA
RanksLithuanian military ranks

The purpose of the Lithuanian Armed Forces are to be the principal deterrent against any security threat to the nation. Lithuania's defence system is based on the concept of "total and unconditional defence" mandated by Lithuania's National Security Strategy. The goal of Lithuania's defence policy is to prepare their society for general defence and to integrate Lithuania into Western security and defence structures. The Ministry of National Defence is responsible for combat forces, search and rescue, and intelligence operations.[4]

Male conscription is in place since 2015, when it was reinstated after being ended in 2008, due to concerns about the geopolitical environment in light of the Russo-Ukrainian War.[5]

In early 2022, Lithuania's defence budget for 2022 was approximately 1.05 billion,[1][c] but it was increased to €1.5 billion on 17 March 2022.[6]

History edit

Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army edit

 
Seal of Grand Duke Kęstutis from 1379 depicting a grand ducal infantryman

The Lithuanian military originates in the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, active from the 13th century to 1795.[7] After the Union of Lublin in 1569, the Lithuanian Army remained equal to the Polish Crown army in the military of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until the Third Partition in 1795. The Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army fought in many major battles, such as the Battle of Blue Waters (1362/63), Battle of Grunwald (1410), Battle of Orsha (1514) and Battle of Kircholm (1605).

Similarly to other medieval European states, the army was raised by the nobility during the Late Middle Ages. By the 17th century, it was mostly outclassed by professional forces and a standing army was instituted.

13th century edit

From the 12th century's end and into the 13th century, Lithuania frequently went to war against the western and southwestern Rus' states, Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia and Duchy of Masovia, and also devastated the lands along the Daugava and elsewhere.[7] From the early 1200s, Lithuanians fought against the Swordbrothers, then from 1237 against the Livonian Order, and from the second half of the 13th century's against the State of the Teutonic Order.[7] Fighting on Lithuania's northern and western frontiers was unceasing, the Lithuanian state expanded southwards and eastwards in the Late Middle Ages.[7] The Lithuanian army was mobile, as it had to fight on many fronts: the State of the Teutonic Order to the west, the Livonian Order to the north, the Golden Horde and its vassal Muscovy to the east, and the Tatar khanates to the south.[7] According to 13th-century sources, Lithuanian soldiers rode horses on military expeditions but fought on foot, arranged in three rows during battles.[7] The best-armed and most experienced fought in the front, while the least experienced and lightly armed were in the last row.[7] Furthermore, the Lithuanians were skilled at fighting using spears, especially on horseback. The earliest written mention of such tactics, from 1208, says that Lithuanians on horses threw spears at their enemies.[8]

Although the Germans initially had superior weaponry in the 13th century, the Lithuanians won the Battles of Saule (1236), Durbe (1260), Karuse (1270) and the Aizkraukle (1279).[7] However they were less successful against enemy fortifications, especially brick castles.[7] Eventually the front lines stabilised over time, and the one against the Livonian Order more or less followed the modern Latvia–Lithuania border, while the one against the Teutonic Order was close to the Nemunas.[7][9] A castle system fortified the Lithuanian side of the border along the river.[7]

14th century edit

Over the 14th century, the Teutonic and Livonian orders organised raids into Lithuania.[7] Lithuanians reciprocated by raiding their respective territories, but the Lithuanian raids were fewer in number.[7] The Lithuanians won the Battle of Medininkai (1320), but lost the Battle of Strėva (1348).[7] More and more, the Teutonic Order destroyed the Lithuanian castle system along the Nemunas and built their own castles near the Lithuanian ones.[7] As the German and Livonian orders were constantly reinforced by Christian European countries, it became increasingly difficult to defend Lithuania solely by military means.[7] A new generation of the Lithuanian Grand Dukes, Jogaila and Vytautas the Great, used not only military, but also diplomatic and political means, for example Lithuanian baptism in 1387, to protect Lithuania.[7]

Meanwhile on the other side of Lithuania, the Golden Horde's army was destroyed in the Battle of Blue Waters (1362-1363).[7] In 1368, 1370, and 1372, the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas led the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army on military expeditions against Muscovy.[7] However, the Battle of the Vorksla River (1399) was a decisive victory for the Golden Horde.[7]

15th century edit

Finally, the German Teutonic Order was crushed in the Battle of Grunwald (1410) (known as Battle of Žalgiris in Lithuanian historiography), which was the largest Middle Age battle in Central and Eastern Europe.[7] In this key battle, the Lithuanian Army was led by Vytautas the Great.[7] Under him, the Lithuanian Army attacked the lands of the Republics of Pskov, in 1426, and Novgorod, in 1428.[7] The Grand Duchy of Lithuania had internal civil wars in the first half of the 15th century.[7] The Lithuania Army engaged in biological warfare already in 1422, when it catapulted manure made from infected victims into an opposing Bohemian town as part of the Hussite Wars.[10] In 1435, Sigismund Kęstutaitis' army defeated the opposing army, which included troops of the Livonian Order, led by Švitrigaila in the Battle of Wiłkomierz.[7]

16th century edit

This century was marked by war of Lithuania against Muscovy and the Crimean Khanate, against whom they won the Battle of Kletsk in 1506.[7] The strengthening Grand Duchy of Moscow starting in the late 15th century waged unceasing wars over Lithuania's eastern territories.[7] In 1514, during the fourth war, the Lithuanians triumphed over the numerically larger Muscovite army in the famous Battle of Orsha.[7] However, Lithuania lost a part of its eastern lands, most notably the strategically important fortress of Smolensk.[7] The Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army fought against Muscovy in the Livonian War and won against the Muscovite army, twice its size in the Battle of Ula in 1564.[7] Three years into the Livonian War, the Treaty of Vilnius.[9] made Livonia part of Lithuania in 1561 with the Union of Lublin concluded in 1569.[9] In the late 1570s and early 1580s, the Lithuanian and Polish armies cooperated in Stephen Báthory's incursions into Russia.[7]

17th century edit

The 17th century was marked by wars against Sweden, the Tsardom of Muscovy and the Ottoman Empire.[7] The Lithuanian army and the Polish army fought against the Ottoman forces notably at both Battles of Khotyn in 1621 and 1673.[7] During the war with Sweden from 1600 to 1629, the Lithuanian army defeated Swedish forces three times their number at the Battle of Kircholm in 1605.[7] However, this war highlighted the Commonwealth's difficulty recruiting and retaining enough troops, better arming its soldiers with firearms and bettering their use.[7] Sweden seized a significant part of Livonia as part of Swedish Livonia.[7] In the first half of the 17th century, Smolensk returned to Lithuania following the Smolensk War.[7]

The Commonwealth's military weakness in the middle and late 17th century was evidenced in the Deluge.[7] In 1655, the much-smaller Lithuanian army could not defend the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius against Muscovite attack.[7] This was the first time that Vilnius was occupied by a foreign state.[9] The Swedish and Muscovite armies occupied large parts of Lithuania.[7] Nevertheless, Lithuania succeeded in holding out and liberated Vilnius, Kaunas, Samogitia and the eastern Voivodeships, except for Smolensk Voivodeship and other parts.[7] Militarily speaking, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was weakening however.[7]

18th century edit

 
A soldier and officer of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army's 63rd Life Dragoons Regiment, which formed part of the army's Royal Guards (1775)

During the Great Northern War the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army no longer defended the country and the Lithuanian magnates' private armies supported different sides.[7] Throughout the 18th century, many confederations in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth sought different political goals.[7] The Bar Confederation (1768–1772), which happened partly in Lithuania, attempted but failed to stem the increasing influence of Imperial Russia and the First partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth followed.[7] In the face of the possible loss of independence, military reforms in the Four Years' Sejm (1788–1792) significantly expanded the Lithuanian army, which reached a strength of 17,500.[7][9] Attempts to make the Commonwealth's armies equal those of neighbouring absolute monarchies were unsuccessful and the unsuccessful War of 1792 resulted in the Second Partition.[7]

The Polish and Lithuanian armies put up a spirited fight against the Imperial Russian Army and the Prussian Army in the Kościuszko Uprising.[7] In addition to regular forces, many ad hoc units such as the Vilnian National Guard also fought, as well as many irregular units.[7] In the end, the Uprising was defeated and much of the remainder of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army was lost in the Battle of Praga on 4 November 1794.[7] With the uprising defeated, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland ended with the Third Partition, and their respective armies being disbanded.[7]

Interwar and post-war periods edit

Size of active Lithuanian Army during the interwar
Date Total number
5 March 1919
3,000([11])
24 January 1920
28,903([12])
8 September 1920
27,802([12])
1 January 1921
43,996([13])
1 November 1924
13,241([14])
1 May 1926
7,894([14])
1 January 1928
16,483([15])
1 December 1934
19,784([15])
1 March 1938
25,655([16])
5 September 1939
37,027([17])
30 September 1939
89,470([17])
1 March 1940
31,895([18])

After Lithuania's restoration on 16 February 1918, the country immediately began creating an army.[19] The Ministry of Defence's first order, issued on 23 November 1918, is considered to mark the establishment of the modern Lithuanian Armed Forces.[20] The newly-formed army almost immediately fought three wars of independence. Having won the Lithuanian–Soviet War and the war against the Bermontians, Lithuania lost large chunks of territory, including its capital Vilnius in the Polish–Lithuanian War. Armoured equipment in the interwar period,primarily consisted of light tanks and armored cars: French Renault FT-17s, British Vickers Carden-Loyd M1934s and M1936s, Swedish Landsverk-181, and German Ehrhardt E-V/4.[19] In 1935, the country opened an advanced military research laboratory, specialising in chemical materials for ammunition as well as defence against chemical warfare.[21] The construction of the laboratory was supervised by Juozas Vėbra. In 1940, Lithuania had a considerable Air Force, consisting of 118 aircraft with about half of them designed and produced locally. During the World War II, Lithuania was invaded by both Nazis and Soviets, which eventually concluded in Soviet occupation. The Lithuanian Armed Forces transformed into the Lithuanian People's Army in 1940 under the People's Government of Lithuania.[22] Despite Soviet deportations from Lithuania, armed Lithuanian resistance lasted until the 1950s.

Restoration and NATO edit

 
Lithuanian soldiers shaking hands with the American soldiers during the Operation Atlantic Resolve in 2014

Following the restoration of independence, the defence forces were formally reestablished on 25 April 1990 with the creation of the Department of National Defence. After the January Events, the Voluntary National Defence Service was formed of lightly armed volunteers. The Lithuanian Armed Forces were officially restored on 19 November 1992.[20] Western European countries, especially Sweden, helped to arm the initial force by selling or donating excess equipment. Lithuania began the modernisation of its military, becoming the first European country to acquire the US-made FGM-148 Javelin systems in 2001 and the FIM-92 Stinger systems in 2002.[23]

Lithuania applied for NATO membership in 1994 and eventually joined the alliance in 2004. It has modernised its armed forces and participated in various international missions including the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan.

Conscription ended in September 2008, but was reintroduced in 2015 because of concerns about the geopolitical environment given the Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.[24][25]

Organization edit

class=notpageimage|

Lithuanian combat forces and headquarters

The unit type is shown by APP-6
Gold – headquarters
 
Structure of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, 2023 (click to enlarge)

The President of Lithuania is the commander-in-chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces according to the Constitution of Lithuania. Ministry of National Defence is directly responsible for the organisation of the defence system.[26] Chief of Defence (Lithuanian: Kariuomenės vadas) is subordinate to the Minister of National Defence. Defence Staff (Lithuanian: Gynybos štabas) of the Armed Forces is responsible for the preparation of defence and mobilisation plans.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Force, Lithuanian Air Force, Lithuanian Naval Force, Lithuanian Special Operations Force and other units: Logistics Command, Training and Doctrine Command, Headquarters Battalion, Military Police. Directly subordinated to the Chief of Defence are the Special Operations Force and Military Police. The Reserve Forces are under command of the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces.

Lithuanian Riflemen's Union is a paramilitary organization that cooperates with the Armed Forces, but it is not part of them. However, during the state of war, its armed formations fall under the command of the Armed Forces. The same applies to the State Border Guard Service and the Public Security Service.[27]

Lithuanian Land Force edit

 
Lithuanian soldier during an exercise.

The core of the Lithuanian Land Force structure is the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf (MIB "Iron Wolf") consisting of four mechanized infantry battalions and an artillery battalion, supported by the Žemaitija Motorized infantry Brigade, which has three battalions and one artillery battalion as well. The third, Aukštaitija Light Infantry Brigade, is a reserve formation with active training. Its command, signal and logistic units are manned by professional soldiers.

The Volunteer Forces form another brigade-size force, consisting of six territorial units. Other auxiliary units include Juozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion and Juozas Lukša Land Force Training Center.

The Lithuanian Land forces use equipment compatible with NATO standards. Since 2007, the standard assault rifle is the German Heckler & Koch G36. Units are supplied with modern variants of anti-tank weapons (M72 LAW, Carl Gustaf, AT4, FGM-148 Javelin) as well as man-portable air-defense systems (PZR Grom, RBS-70, FIM-92 Stinger). Modern armoured equipment includes: Oshkosh L-ATV armoured cars, Boxer infantry fighting vehicles (local designation IVF "Vilkas") armed with Spike-LR anti-tank missiles and PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers. Lithuanian Land forces have carried out major modernization and acquired more new weapons and heavier armour.

Lithuania has been restructuring its armed forces so that one-tenth of the Land Forces could at any given time be deployed for international operations, while half of the Land Forces would be prepared to deploy outside Lithuania's borders. The volunteers have already successfully participated in international operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq.

In May 2023, the State Defence Council approved the plan to form an army division, based on the three army brigades.[28] The division-sized unit would have enhanced capabilities, including new tank, reconnaissance, engineering and artillery battalions.[28]

Lithuanian Air Force edit

 
Lithuanian Air Force helicopter

The Lithuanian Air Force (LAF) is an integral part of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The LAF is formed by professional military servicemen and non-military personnel. Units are located at various bases across Lithuania:

The initial formation of the LAF was the 2nd transport squadron with the transfer of 20 An-2 aircraft from civilian to military use, with initial basing at the Barysiai Airport on 27 April 1992. These were joined by four L-39C Albatros aircraft to be used by the 1st fighter (training) squadron. These were in addition to Mil Mi-8 helicopters and a short-range transport aircraft L-410, all of which went through a capital overhaul, upgrade and modernisation in the 2000s.

Following the initial acquisitions, the LAF began its aircraft's modernisation by ordering three C-27J Spartan transporters in 2006. In 2013, three Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin helicopters were acquired from France and, in 2020, Lithuania announced an order or four Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the USA. Simultaneously, new medium-range and long-range radars were acquired for the Airspace Surveillance and Control Command.

Air space is patrolled by jet fighters from other NATO members and they are based in Zokniai Air Base, near the city of Šiauliai (see Baltic Air Policing). The external border of the European Union (with Kaliningrad and Belarus) is patrolled by the Aviation Unit of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service which, since the 2000s, uses helicopters EC-120, EC-135 and EC-145.

Lithuanian Navy edit

 
Lithuanian Naval Force Flyvefisken-class ship Dzukas

The Navy has over 600 personnel. The Navy consists of the Warship Flotilla, the Sea Coastal Surveillance System, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Divers Team, the Naval Logistic Service, Training Center and Maritime Rescue Coordination Center. The flotilla is the core component of the Navy and consists of the Mine Countermeasures Squadron, the Patrol Ships Squadron, and the Harbour Boats Group.[30] The current Commander in Chief of the Lithuanian Navy is Rear Admiral Kęstutis Macijauskas. The Naval base and Headquarters are located in the city of Klaipėda.[31] The Navy uses patrol ships for coastal surveillance.

The four newly acquired Flyvefisken-class patrol vessels replaced the older Storm-class patrol boats and Grisha-class corvettes.

Special Operations Force edit

 
Lithuanian Special Forces squadron Aitvaras deployed in Afghanistan.

The Lithuanian Special Operations Force of Lithuanian Armed Forces has been in operation de facto since 2002 and it was established de jure on 3 April 2008, when amendments of National Defence System organisation and military service law came into force.[32] The Special Operations Force is formed from the Special Operations Unit.[33]

The Special Operations Force is responsible for special reconnaissance, direct actions, and military support. It is also in charge of other tasks, e.g., protection of VIPs in peacetime. Its core is based on the Special Purpose Service, Vytautas the Great Jaeger Battalion and Combat Divers Service. Lithuanian Air Force Special Operations Element is subordinate to the Unit at the level of operations management. Its structure is flexible which makes it easy to form squadrons intended for concrete operations and missions from its elements. The Special Operations Force can be called upon inside the territory of Lithuania when law enforcement agencies lack or do not have the necessary capabilities to react to terrorist attacks. The capabilities of special forces make them the main national response force responsible for counter-terrorism operations and operations to prevent violations of sovereignty.[33]

The Special Operations Force Squadron "Aitvaras" was deployed to Afghanistan on the Operation Enduring Freedom. From 2005 to 2006 its squadrons were on standby in NATO Response Force.[33]

International cooperation edit

 
Lithuanian soldier in Afghanistan, 2012
 
Lithuanian Bandvagn 206 helping an Afghan National Police vehicle in the snow

Lithuania has been a member of NATO military alliance since 2004. In the European Union, Lithuanian Armed Forces have also taken part in the Nordic Battle Group since 2008. Lithuanian Armed Forces also participate in the Joint Expeditionary Force formed in 2014.

In 2009, to encourage regional cooperation, Lithuania joined the initiative to form the Lithuanian–Polish–Ukrainian Brigade.

NATO membership edit

 
Lithuanian Air Force L-39ZA with two Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16AM Fighting Falcon

Soon after the restoration of independence, Lithuania applied for NATO membership in January 1994. Together with another six Central and Eastern European countries, Lithuania was invited to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the 2002 Prague summit and became a member of the Alliance in March 2004. Lithuania entered NATO on full-fledged rights immediately after the procedures of joining the North Atlantic Treaty were completed and acquired rights to participate in the political decision-making process of the Alliance. Integration into the military structures of NATO became a long-term task of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Mechanised Infantry Brigade "Iron Wolf" was affiliated to the Danish Division based on agreements signed by Denmark and Lithuania in August 2006. Lithuanian Armed Forces started to boost the Brigade's ability to cooperate with the forces of other NATO members.

Baltic Air Policing was established by NATO allies since Lithuania and the other Baltic states do not have capabilities to secure their airspace. Fighter jets of NATO members are permanently deployed in Zokniai airport near the city Šiauliai to provide cover for the Baltic states airspace.[34] In 2013, NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence was established in Vilnius.

Following the 2016 Warsaw summit, NATO Enhanced Forward Presence was deployed in the Baltic States with the multinational battalion battle group in Lithuania being led by Germany.

Cooperation between the Baltic States edit

 
Lithuanian soldiers with their NATO allies during Iron Sword 2014.

Lithuania also cooperates with the two other Baltic states – Latvia and Estonia in several trilateral Baltic defence co-operation initiatives:

  • Baltic Battalion (BALTBAT) – infantry battalion for participation in international peace support operations, headquartered near Riga, Latvia;
  • Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) – naval force with mine countermeasures capabilities, headquartered near Tallinn, Estonia;
  • Baltic Air Surveillance Network (BALTNET) – air surveillance information system, headquartered near Kaunas, Lithuania;
  • Joint military educational institutions: Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) in Tartu, Estonia, Baltic Diving Training Centre in Liepāja, Latvia and Baltic Naval Communications Training Centre in Tallinn, Estonia.[35]

In January 2011, the Baltic states were invited to join Nordic Defence Cooperation, the defence framework of the Nordic countries.[36] In November 2012, the three countries agreed to create a joint military staff in 2013.[37] Future co-operation will include sharing of national infrastructures for training purposes and specialisation of training areas (BALTTRAIN) and collective formation of battalion-sized contingents for use in the NATO rapid-response force.[38]

Foreign missions and operations edit

Lithuanian soldiers have taken part in international operations since 1993. From the summer of 2005 until 2014, Lithuania has been part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF), leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the town of Chaghcharan in the province of Ghor. The PRT included personnel from Denmark, Iceland and the US. There have also been special operation forces units in Afghanistan. They were placed in Kandahar province.

Since joining international operations in 1993, Lithuania has lost two soldiers. 1st Lt. Normundas Valteris fell in Bosnia (17 April 1996), Sgt. Arūnas Jarmalavičius in Afghanistan (22 May 2008).[39]

Current operations (in 2022) edit

Deployment Organization Operation Personnel[1]
Central African Republic EU EUTM RCA 2
Iraq NATO NATO Mission Iraq 2
Mali EU EUTM Mali 2
Mali UN MINUSMA 45
Kosovo NATO KFOR 1
Ukraine JMTG-U 30

List of military equipment edit

Ranks edit

See also edit

Notes edit

a. ^ The 23,000 is structured like this: 14,500 in the Army, 1,500 in the Air Force, 700 in the Navy, and 6,300 in other units. The other units includes the Logistics Support Command (1,400), Training and Doctrine Command (1,500), the Special Operations Force (unknown) as well as the battalions of HQ and Military Police (2,600).[40]

b. ^ The paramilitary includes 10,600 of the Riflemen's Union and 3,550 of the State Border Guard Service.[2]

c. ^ The number of 1.05 billion is without including military pensions. When the military pensions are included, the military budget reaches 1.12 billion.[2]

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b c d Hackett 2022, p. 124.
  2. ^ a b c Hackett 2022, p. 125.
  3. ^ a b , 2024, archived from the original on 28 June 2022, retrieved 6 February 2024
  4. ^ "Lietuvos Respublikos krašto apsaugos ministerija :: Titulinis" (PDF). Retrieved 24 December 2014.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Čepinskytė 2016.
  6. ^ LRT.lt 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay Gaidys, Arvydas; Knezys, Stasys; Spečiūnas, Vytautas. "Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės kariuomenė" (in Lithuanian). Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  8. ^ Šmidtas, Eligijus (2019). "Su kokia kavalerija Lietuva pasitiko kryžiuočius XIII amžiuje?". Lietuvos istorijos studijos. Vilnius University Press: 15. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d e . www.kariuomene.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  10. ^ Flora, S. J. S.; Pachauri, Vidhu (5 October 2019). Handbook on Biological Warfare Preparedness. Academic Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-12-812055-2.
  11. ^ Vaičenonis 2002, p. 144.
  12. ^ a b Vaičenonis 2002, p. 150.
  13. ^ Vaičenonis 2002, p. 151.
  14. ^ a b Vaičenonis 2002, p. 152.
  15. ^ a b Vaičenonis 2002, p. 158.
  16. ^ Vaičenonis 2002, p. 170.
  17. ^ a b Vaičenonis 2002, p. 172.
  18. ^ Vaičenonis 2002, p. 146.
  19. ^ a b "Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajėgos 1918–1940" (in Lithuanian). Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  20. ^ a b . Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  21. ^ "Tyrimų laboratorija". Modernizmasateiciai.lt (in Lithuanian). 3 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  22. ^ Knezys, Stasys. "Lietuvos liaudies kariuomenė". Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajėgos po nepriklausomybės atkūrimo" (in Lithuanian). Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  24. ^ . Ministry of National Defence. Archived from the original on 26 June 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
  25. ^ "Conscription notices to be sent to 37,000 men in Lithuania".
  26. ^ "Lietuvos Respublikos krašto apsaugos sistemos organizavimo ir karo tarnybos įstatymas" (in Lithuanian). Office of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  27. ^ "Valstybės sienos ir jos apsaugos įstatymas". Office of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 5 May 2000. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  28. ^ a b Andrukaitytė, Milena (8 May 2023). "Lithuania's State Defence Council backs proposal to create army division". LRT. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  29. ^ . Ministry of National Defence, Republic of Lithuania. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  30. ^ . Ministry of National Defence, Republic of Lithuania. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  31. ^ . Ministry of National Defence, Republic of Lithuania. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  32. ^ . Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  33. ^ a b c . Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  34. ^ . Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  35. ^ . Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. January 2002. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  36. ^ . Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 21 January 2011. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  37. ^ . Estonian Public Broadcasting. 9 November 2012. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  38. ^ . Ministry of National Defence, Republic of Lithuania. 12 December 2011. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  39. ^ . Ministry of National Defence, Republic of Lithuania. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  40. ^ Hackett 2022, p. 124-125.

As of this edit, this article uses content from "Lithuanian Armed Forces", authored by Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania, which is licensed in a way that permits reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, but not under the GFDL. All relevant terms must be followed.

Sources edit

  • Čepinskytė, Agnė (6 June 2016). "Lithuania Reinstates Conscription: Implications on Security, National Identity, and Gender Roles". Foreign Policy Research Institute.
  • Hackett, James, ed. (14 February 2022). "The 2022 Military Balance Chart". The Military Balance. 122 (1). International Institute for Strategic Studies. ISSN 0459-7222.
  • LRT.lt, BNS (17 March 2022). "Lithuania raises defence spending to 2.52 percent of GDP". LRT.
  • Sytas, Andrius (23 June 2022). "Lithuania president eyes hike in defence spending to host more NATO troops". Reuters. Vilnius.
  • Vaičenonis, Jonas (2002). (PDF). Karo Archyvas (in Lithuanian). 17. Vilnius. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2023.

Further reading edit

  • Stefan Marx, 'Lithuania's Defence Structure,' Jane's Intelligence Review, September 1993, p. 407–409

External links edit

  • Official website  
  • Official YouTube channel of Lithuanian Armed Forces
  • Official NATO Energy Security Center of Excellence website

lithuanian, armed, forces, lithuanian, lietuvos, ginkluotosios, pajėgos, military, lithuania, consist, lithuanian, land, forces, lithuanian, naval, force, lithuanian, force, lithuanian, special, operations, force, wartime, lithuanian, state, border, guard, ser. The Lithuanian Armed Forces Lithuanian Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajegos are the military of Lithuania The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces the Lithuanian Naval Force the Lithuanian Air Force and the Lithuanian Special Operations Force In wartime the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service which is under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior in peacetime becomes part of the Lithuanian Armed Forces A special security department handles VIP protection and communications security Lithuanian Armed ForcesLietuvos ginkluotosios pajegosInsignia of the Lithuanian Armed ForcesFlag of the Lithuanian Armed ForcesFounded23 November 1918 first armed formations c 12th century Current form25 April 1990Service branchesLand Force Air Force Naval Force Special Operations Force Volunteer Forces War time only Riflemen s Union Public Security Service State Border Guard ServiceHeadquartersVilniusWebsiteOfficial websiteLeadershipCommander in ChiefPresident Gitanas NausedaMinister of National DefenceLaurynas KasciunasChief of DefenceGeneral Valdemaras RupsysPersonnelMilitary age18 55Conscription9 monthsAvailable formilitary service890 074 males age 16 49 2016 est 875 780 females age 16 49 2016 est Fit formilitary service669 111 males age 16 49 2016 est 724 803 females age 16 49 2016 est Reaching militaryage annually20 425 males 2016 est 19 527 females 2016 est Active personnel23 000 2021 1 a 14 150 paramilitary 2021 2 b Reserve personnelActive reserve 28 000 total reserve 104 000 2021 1 ExpendituresBudget 2 1 billion 2024 3 Percent of GDP2 77 2024 3 IndustryForeign suppliers Denmark Finland France Germany Israel Norway Poland Spain Sweden United Kingdom United StatesRelated articlesHistory1918 20 Lithuanian Wars of Independence1944 53 Lithuanian partisans1994 Bosnian War 2001 2021 War in Afghanistan 2001 2021 2003 2008 Invasion of Iraq2004 Present Kosovo Force2013 Present EUTM Mali 2013 Present Operation Atalanta2014 Operation Sangaris2015 present EU Navfor Med2017 present MINUSMARanksLithuanian military ranks The purpose of the Lithuanian Armed Forces are to be the principal deterrent against any security threat to the nation Lithuania s defence system is based on the concept of total and unconditional defence mandated by Lithuania s National Security Strategy The goal of Lithuania s defence policy is to prepare their society for general defence and to integrate Lithuania into Western security and defence structures The Ministry of National Defence is responsible for combat forces search and rescue and intelligence operations 4 Male conscription is in place since 2015 when it was reinstated after being ended in 2008 due to concerns about the geopolitical environment in light of the Russo Ukrainian War 5 In early 2022 Lithuania s defence budget for 2022 was approximately 1 05 billion 1 c but it was increased to 1 5 billion on 17 March 2022 6 Contents 1 History 1 1 Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army 1 1 1 13th century 1 1 2 14th century 1 1 3 15th century 1 1 4 16th century 1 1 5 17th century 1 1 6 18th century 1 2 Interwar and post war periods 1 3 Restoration and NATO 2 Organization 2 1 Lithuanian Land Force 2 2 Lithuanian Air Force 2 3 Lithuanian Navy 2 4 Special Operations Force 3 International cooperation 3 1 NATO membership 3 2 Cooperation between the Baltic States 3 3 Foreign missions and operations 3 4 Current operations in 2022 4 List of military equipment 5 Ranks 6 See also 7 Notes 8 Citations 9 Sources 10 Further reading 11 External linksHistory editGrand Ducal Lithuanian Army edit nbsp Seal of Grand Duke Kestutis from 1379 depicting a grand ducal infantryman The Lithuanian military originates in the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army active from the 13th century to 1795 7 After the Union of Lublin in 1569 the Lithuanian Army remained equal to the Polish Crown army in the military of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth until the Third Partition in 1795 The Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army fought in many major battles such as the Battle of Blue Waters 1362 63 Battle of Grunwald 1410 Battle of Orsha 1514 and Battle of Kircholm 1605 Similarly to other medieval European states the army was raised by the nobility during the Late Middle Ages By the 17th century it was mostly outclassed by professional forces and a standing army was instituted 13th century edit From the 12th century s end and into the 13th century Lithuania frequently went to war against the western and southwestern Rus states Kingdom of Galicia Volhynia and Duchy of Masovia and also devastated the lands along the Daugava and elsewhere 7 From the early 1200s Lithuanians fought against the Swordbrothers then from 1237 against the Livonian Order and from the second half of the 13th century s against the State of the Teutonic Order 7 Fighting on Lithuania s northern and western frontiers was unceasing the Lithuanian state expanded southwards and eastwards in the Late Middle Ages 7 The Lithuanian army was mobile as it had to fight on many fronts the State of the Teutonic Order to the west the Livonian Order to the north the Golden Horde and its vassal Muscovy to the east and the Tatar khanates to the south 7 According to 13th century sources Lithuanian soldiers rode horses on military expeditions but fought on foot arranged in three rows during battles 7 The best armed and most experienced fought in the front while the least experienced and lightly armed were in the last row 7 Furthermore the Lithuanians were skilled at fighting using spears especially on horseback The earliest written mention of such tactics from 1208 says that Lithuanians on horses threw spears at their enemies 8 Although the Germans initially had superior weaponry in the 13th century the Lithuanians won the Battles of Saule 1236 Durbe 1260 Karuse 1270 and the Aizkraukle 1279 7 However they were less successful against enemy fortifications especially brick castles 7 Eventually the front lines stabilised over time and the one against the Livonian Order more or less followed the modern Latvia Lithuania border while the one against the Teutonic Order was close to the Nemunas 7 9 A castle system fortified the Lithuanian side of the border along the river 7 14th century edit Over the 14th century the Teutonic and Livonian orders organised raids into Lithuania 7 Lithuanians reciprocated by raiding their respective territories but the Lithuanian raids were fewer in number 7 The Lithuanians won the Battle of Medininkai 1320 but lost the Battle of Streva 1348 7 More and more the Teutonic Order destroyed the Lithuanian castle system along the Nemunas and built their own castles near the Lithuanian ones 7 As the German and Livonian orders were constantly reinforced by Christian European countries it became increasingly difficult to defend Lithuania solely by military means 7 A new generation of the Lithuanian Grand Dukes Jogaila and Vytautas the Great used not only military but also diplomatic and political means for example Lithuanian baptism in 1387 to protect Lithuania 7 Meanwhile on the other side of Lithuania the Golden Horde s army was destroyed in the Battle of Blue Waters 1362 1363 7 In 1368 1370 and 1372 the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas led the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army on military expeditions against Muscovy 7 However the Battle of the Vorksla River 1399 was a decisive victory for the Golden Horde 7 nbsp Battle of Grunwald 1410 was one of the largest in medieval Europe 15th century edit Finally the German Teutonic Order was crushed in the Battle of Grunwald 1410 known as Battle of Zalgiris in Lithuanian historiography which was the largest Middle Age battle in Central and Eastern Europe 7 In this key battle the Lithuanian Army was led by Vytautas the Great 7 Under him the Lithuanian Army attacked the lands of the Republics of Pskov in 1426 and Novgorod in 1428 7 The Grand Duchy of Lithuania had internal civil wars in the first half of the 15th century 7 The Lithuania Army engaged in biological warfare already in 1422 when it catapulted manure made from infected victims into an opposing Bohemian town as part of the Hussite Wars 10 In 1435 Sigismund Kestutaitis army defeated the opposing army which included troops of the Livonian Order led by Svitrigaila in the Battle of Wilkomierz 7 16th century edit This century was marked by war of Lithuania against Muscovy and the Crimean Khanate against whom they won the Battle of Kletsk in 1506 7 The strengthening Grand Duchy of Moscow starting in the late 15th century waged unceasing wars over Lithuania s eastern territories 7 In 1514 during the fourth war the Lithuanians triumphed over the numerically larger Muscovite army in the famous Battle of Orsha 7 However Lithuania lost a part of its eastern lands most notably the strategically important fortress of Smolensk 7 The Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army fought against Muscovy in the Livonian War and won against the Muscovite army twice its size in the Battle of Ula in 1564 7 Three years into the Livonian War the Treaty of Vilnius 9 made Livonia part of Lithuania in 1561 with the Union of Lublin concluded in 1569 9 In the late 1570s and early 1580s the Lithuanian and Polish armies cooperated in Stephen Bathory s incursions into Russia 7 nbsp The victory of the Polish Lithuanian forces over the Grand Duchy of Moscow at the Battle of Orsha in 1514 nbsp Modern reconstruction of the Lithuanian fighters from the 14 15th century 17th century edit The 17th century was marked by wars against Sweden the Tsardom of Muscovy and the Ottoman Empire 7 The Lithuanian army and the Polish army fought against the Ottoman forces notably at both Battles of Khotyn in 1621 and 1673 7 During the war with Sweden from 1600 to 1629 the Lithuanian army defeated Swedish forces three times their number at the Battle of Kircholm in 1605 7 However this war highlighted the Commonwealth s difficulty recruiting and retaining enough troops better arming its soldiers with firearms and bettering their use 7 Sweden seized a significant part of Livonia as part of Swedish Livonia 7 In the first half of the 17th century Smolensk returned to Lithuania following the Smolensk War 7 The Commonwealth s military weakness in the middle and late 17th century was evidenced in the Deluge 7 In 1655 the much smaller Lithuanian army could not defend the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius against Muscovite attack 7 This was the first time that Vilnius was occupied by a foreign state 9 The Swedish and Muscovite armies occupied large parts of Lithuania 7 Nevertheless Lithuania succeeded in holding out and liberated Vilnius Kaunas Samogitia and the eastern Voivodeships except for Smolensk Voivodeship and other parts 7 Militarily speaking the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was weakening however 7 18th century edit nbsp A soldier and officer of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army s 63rd Life Dragoons Regiment which formed part of the army s Royal Guards 1775 During the Great Northern War the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army no longer defended the country and the Lithuanian magnates private armies supported different sides 7 Throughout the 18th century many confederations in the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth sought different political goals 7 The Bar Confederation 1768 1772 which happened partly in Lithuania attempted but failed to stem the increasing influence of Imperial Russia and the First partition of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth followed 7 In the face of the possible loss of independence military reforms in the Four Years Sejm 1788 1792 significantly expanded the Lithuanian army which reached a strength of 17 500 7 9 Attempts to make the Commonwealth s armies equal those of neighbouring absolute monarchies were unsuccessful and the unsuccessful War of 1792 resulted in the Second Partition 7 The Polish and Lithuanian armies put up a spirited fight against the Imperial Russian Army and the Prussian Army in the Kosciuszko Uprising 7 In addition to regular forces many ad hoc units such as the Vilnian National Guard also fought as well as many irregular units 7 In the end the Uprising was defeated and much of the remainder of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army was lost in the Battle of Praga on 4 November 1794 7 With the uprising defeated the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland ended with the Third Partition and their respective armies being disbanded 7 Interwar and post war periods edit Size of active Lithuanian Army during the interwar Date Total number 5 March 1919 3 000 11 24 January 1920 28 903 12 8 September 1920 27 802 12 1 January 1921 43 996 13 1 November 1924 13 241 14 1 May 1926 7 894 14 1 January 1928 16 483 15 1 December 1934 19 784 15 1 March 1938 25 655 16 5 September 1939 37 027 17 30 September 1939 89 470 17 1 March 1940 31 895 18 After Lithuania s restoration on 16 February 1918 the country immediately began creating an army 19 The Ministry of Defence s first order issued on 23 November 1918 is considered to mark the establishment of the modern Lithuanian Armed Forces 20 The newly formed army almost immediately fought three wars of independence Having won the Lithuanian Soviet War and the war against the Bermontians Lithuania lost large chunks of territory including its capital Vilnius in the Polish Lithuanian War Armoured equipment in the interwar period primarily consisted of light tanks and armored cars French Renault FT 17s British Vickers Carden Loyd M1934s and M1936s Swedish Landsverk 181 and German Ehrhardt E V 4 19 In 1935 the country opened an advanced military research laboratory specialising in chemical materials for ammunition as well as defence against chemical warfare 21 The construction of the laboratory was supervised by Juozas Vebra In 1940 Lithuania had a considerable Air Force consisting of 118 aircraft with about half of them designed and produced locally During the World War II Lithuania was invaded by both Nazis and Soviets which eventually concluded in Soviet occupation The Lithuanian Armed Forces transformed into the Lithuanian People s Army in 1940 under the People s Government of Lithuania 22 Despite Soviet deportations from Lithuania armed Lithuanian resistance lasted until the 1950s nbsp Lithuanian Renault FT 17 tanks in 1924 nbsp Lithuanian Army in 1938 nbsp Lithuanian design ANBO III aircraft from 1930s Restoration and NATO edit nbsp Lithuanian soldiers shaking hands with the American soldiers during the Operation Atlantic Resolve in 2014 Following the restoration of independence the defence forces were formally reestablished on 25 April 1990 with the creation of the Department of National Defence After the January Events the Voluntary National Defence Service was formed of lightly armed volunteers The Lithuanian Armed Forces were officially restored on 19 November 1992 20 Western European countries especially Sweden helped to arm the initial force by selling or donating excess equipment Lithuania began the modernisation of its military becoming the first European country to acquire the US made FGM 148 Javelin systems in 2001 and the FIM 92 Stinger systems in 2002 23 Lithuania applied for NATO membership in 1994 and eventually joined the alliance in 2004 It has modernised its armed forces and participated in various international missions including the NATO led mission in Afghanistan Conscription ended in September 2008 but was reintroduced in 2015 because of concerns about the geopolitical environment given the Russia s military intervention in Ukraine 24 25 Organization edit nbsp nbsp Mindaugas Mech Bn nbsp Algirdas Mech Giedraitis Art nbsp Birute Mot Bn nbsp Kestutis Mot Bn nbsp Brigade HQ Vitkus Eng Bn nbsp Navy HQ nbsp Air Force HQ Spec Ops HQ nbsp Siauliai Air Base nbsp ADBnclass notpageimage Lithuanian combat forces and headquartersThe unit type is shown by APP 6Gold headquarters nbsp Structure of the Lithuanian Armed Forces 2023 click to enlarge The President of Lithuania is the commander in chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces according to the Constitution of Lithuania Ministry of National Defence is directly responsible for the organisation of the defence system 26 Chief of Defence Lithuanian Kariuomenes vadas is subordinate to the Minister of National Defence Defence Staff Lithuanian Gynybos stabas of the Armed Forces is responsible for the preparation of defence and mobilisation plans The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Force Lithuanian Air Force Lithuanian Naval Force Lithuanian Special Operations Force and other units Logistics Command Training and Doctrine Command Headquarters Battalion Military Police Directly subordinated to the Chief of Defence are the Special Operations Force and Military Police The Reserve Forces are under command of the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces Lithuanian Riflemen s Union is a paramilitary organization that cooperates with the Armed Forces but it is not part of them However during the state of war its armed formations fall under the command of the Armed Forces The same applies to the State Border Guard Service and the Public Security Service 27 Lithuanian Land Force edit Main article Lithuanian Land Force nbsp Lithuanian soldier during an exercise The core of the Lithuanian Land Force structure is the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf MIB Iron Wolf consisting of four mechanized infantry battalions and an artillery battalion supported by the Zemaitija Motorized infantry Brigade which has three battalions and one artillery battalion as well The third Aukstaitija Light Infantry Brigade is a reserve formation with active training Its command signal and logistic units are manned by professional soldiers The Volunteer Forces form another brigade size force consisting of six territorial units Other auxiliary units include Juozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion and Juozas Luksa Land Force Training Center The Lithuanian Land forces use equipment compatible with NATO standards Since 2007 the standard assault rifle is the German Heckler amp Koch G36 Units are supplied with modern variants of anti tank weapons M72 LAW Carl Gustaf AT4 FGM 148 Javelin as well as man portable air defense systems PZR Grom RBS 70 FIM 92 Stinger Modern armoured equipment includes Oshkosh L ATV armoured cars Boxer infantry fighting vehicles local designation IVF Vilkas armed with Spike LR anti tank missiles and PzH 2000 self propelled howitzers Lithuanian Land forces have carried out major modernization and acquired more new weapons and heavier armour Lithuania has been restructuring its armed forces so that one tenth of the Land Forces could at any given time be deployed for international operations while half of the Land Forces would be prepared to deploy outside Lithuania s borders The volunteers have already successfully participated in international operations in the Balkans Afghanistan and Iraq In May 2023 the State Defence Council approved the plan to form an army division based on the three army brigades 28 The division sized unit would have enhanced capabilities including new tank reconnaissance engineering and artillery battalions 28 Lithuanian Air Force edit Main article Lithuanian Air Force nbsp Lithuanian Air Force helicopter The Lithuanian Air Force LAF is an integral part of the Lithuanian Armed Forces The LAF is formed by professional military servicemen and non military personnel Units are located at various bases across Lithuania Kaunas Headquarters and the Airspace Surveillance and Control Command Karmelava Air Space Control Centre Nemirseta providing basing for sea search and rescue detachment Siauliai Zokniai Air Base Air Force Armament and Equipment Repair Depot Radviliskis Air Defence Battalion 29 The initial formation of the LAF was the 2nd transport squadron with the transfer of 20 An 2 aircraft from civilian to military use with initial basing at the Barysiai Airport on 27 April 1992 These were joined by four L 39C Albatros aircraft to be used by the 1st fighter training squadron These were in addition to Mil Mi 8 helicopters and a short range transport aircraft L 410 all of which went through a capital overhaul upgrade and modernisation in the 2000s Following the initial acquisitions the LAF began its aircraft s modernisation by ordering three C 27J Spartan transporters in 2006 In 2013 three Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin helicopters were acquired from France and in 2020 Lithuania announced an order or four Sikorsky UH 60 Black Hawk helicopters from the USA Simultaneously new medium range and long range radars were acquired for the Airspace Surveillance and Control Command Air space is patrolled by jet fighters from other NATO members and they are based in Zokniai Air Base near the city of Siauliai see Baltic Air Policing The external border of the European Union with Kaliningrad and Belarus is patrolled by the Aviation Unit of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service which since the 2000s uses helicopters EC 120 EC 135 and EC 145 Lithuanian Navy edit Main article Lithuanian Naval Force nbsp Lithuanian Naval Force Flyvefisken class ship Dzukas The Navy has over 600 personnel The Navy consists of the Warship Flotilla the Sea Coastal Surveillance System the Explosive Ordnance Disposal EOD Divers Team the Naval Logistic Service Training Center and Maritime Rescue Coordination Center The flotilla is the core component of the Navy and consists of the Mine Countermeasures Squadron the Patrol Ships Squadron and the Harbour Boats Group 30 The current Commander in Chief of the Lithuanian Navy is Rear Admiral Kestutis Macijauskas The Naval base and Headquarters are located in the city of Klaipeda 31 The Navy uses patrol ships for coastal surveillance The four newly acquired Flyvefisken class patrol vessels replaced the older Storm class patrol boats and Grisha class corvettes Special Operations Force edit Main article Lithuanian Special Operations Force nbsp Lithuanian Special Forces squadron Aitvaras deployed in Afghanistan The Lithuanian Special Operations Force of Lithuanian Armed Forces has been in operation de facto since 2002 and it was established de jure on 3 April 2008 when amendments of National Defence System organisation and military service law came into force 32 The Special Operations Force is formed from the Special Operations Unit 33 The Special Operations Force is responsible for special reconnaissance direct actions and military support It is also in charge of other tasks e g protection of VIPs in peacetime Its core is based on the Special Purpose Service Vytautas the Great Jaeger Battalion and Combat Divers Service Lithuanian Air Force Special Operations Element is subordinate to the Unit at the level of operations management Its structure is flexible which makes it easy to form squadrons intended for concrete operations and missions from its elements The Special Operations Force can be called upon inside the territory of Lithuania when law enforcement agencies lack or do not have the necessary capabilities to react to terrorist attacks The capabilities of special forces make them the main national response force responsible for counter terrorism operations and operations to prevent violations of sovereignty 33 The Special Operations Force Squadron Aitvaras was deployed to Afghanistan on the Operation Enduring Freedom From 2005 to 2006 its squadrons were on standby in NATO Response Force 33 International cooperation edit nbsp Lithuanian soldier in Afghanistan 2012 nbsp Lithuanian Bandvagn 206 helping an Afghan National Police vehicle in the snow Lithuania has been a member of NATO military alliance since 2004 In the European Union Lithuanian Armed Forces have also taken part in the Nordic Battle Group since 2008 Lithuanian Armed Forces also participate in the Joint Expeditionary Force formed in 2014 In 2009 to encourage regional cooperation Lithuania joined the initiative to form the Lithuanian Polish Ukrainian Brigade NATO membership edit See also Baltic Air Policing and NATO Enhanced Forward Presence nbsp Lithuanian Air Force L 39ZA with two Royal Netherlands Air Force F 16AM Fighting Falcon Soon after the restoration of independence Lithuania applied for NATO membership in January 1994 Together with another six Central and Eastern European countries Lithuania was invited to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the 2002 Prague summit and became a member of the Alliance in March 2004 Lithuania entered NATO on full fledged rights immediately after the procedures of joining the North Atlantic Treaty were completed and acquired rights to participate in the political decision making process of the Alliance Integration into the military structures of NATO became a long term task of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf was affiliated to the Danish Division based on agreements signed by Denmark and Lithuania in August 2006 Lithuanian Armed Forces started to boost the Brigade s ability to cooperate with the forces of other NATO members Baltic Air Policing was established by NATO allies since Lithuania and the other Baltic states do not have capabilities to secure their airspace Fighter jets of NATO members are permanently deployed in Zokniai airport near the city Siauliai to provide cover for the Baltic states airspace 34 In 2013 NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence was established in Vilnius Following the 2016 Warsaw summit NATO Enhanced Forward Presence was deployed in the Baltic States with the multinational battalion battle group in Lithuania being led by Germany Cooperation between the Baltic States edit nbsp Lithuanian soldiers with their NATO allies during Iron Sword 2014 Lithuania also cooperates with the two other Baltic states Latvia and Estonia in several trilateral Baltic defence co operation initiatives Baltic Battalion BALTBAT infantry battalion for participation in international peace support operations headquartered near Riga Latvia Baltic Naval Squadron BALTRON naval force with mine countermeasures capabilities headquartered near Tallinn Estonia Baltic Air Surveillance Network BALTNET air surveillance information system headquartered near Kaunas Lithuania Joint military educational institutions Baltic Defence College BALTDEFCOL in Tartu Estonia Baltic Diving Training Centre in Liepaja Latvia and Baltic Naval Communications Training Centre in Tallinn Estonia 35 In January 2011 the Baltic states were invited to join Nordic Defence Cooperation the defence framework of the Nordic countries 36 In November 2012 the three countries agreed to create a joint military staff in 2013 37 Future co operation will include sharing of national infrastructures for training purposes and specialisation of training areas BALTTRAIN and collective formation of battalion sized contingents for use in the NATO rapid response force 38 Foreign missions and operations edit Lithuanian soldiers have taken part in international operations since 1993 From the summer of 2005 until 2014 Lithuania has been part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan ISAF leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team PRT in the town of Chaghcharan in the province of Ghor The PRT included personnel from Denmark Iceland and the US There have also been special operation forces units in Afghanistan They were placed in Kandahar province Since joining international operations in 1993 Lithuania has lost two soldiers 1st Lt Normundas Valteris fell in Bosnia 17 April 1996 Sgt Arunas Jarmalavicius in Afghanistan 22 May 2008 39 Current operations in 2022 edit Deployment Organization Operation Personnel 1 Central African Republic EU EUTM RCA 2 Iraq NATO NATO Mission Iraq 2 Mali EU EUTM Mali 2 Mali UN MINUSMA 45 Kosovo NATO KFOR 1 Ukraine JMTG U 30List of military equipment editMain article List of equipment of the Lithuanian Armed Forces nbsp Heckler amp Koch G36 nbsp FGM 148 Javelin nbsp IFV Vilkas nbsp JLTV nbsp PzH 2000 nbsp NASAMS 3 nbsp Eurocopter AS365 DauphinRanks editMain article Lithuanian military ranks and insigniaSee also editEquipment of the Lithuanian Land Force Baltic Air Policing NATO Enhanced Forward Presence nbsp Lithuania portalNotes edita The 23 000 is structured like this 14 500 in the Army 1 500 in the Air Force 700 in the Navy and 6 300 in other units The other units includes the Logistics Support Command 1 400 Training and Doctrine Command 1 500 the Special Operations Force unknown as well as the battalions of HQ and Military Police 2 600 40 b The paramilitary includes 10 600 of the Riflemen s Union and 3 550 of the State Border Guard Service 2 c The number of 1 05 billion is without including military pensions When the military pensions are included the military budget reaches 1 12 billion 2 Citations edit a b c d Hackett 2022 p 124 a b c Hackett 2022 p 125 a b Gynybos biudzetas 2024 archived from the original on 28 June 2022 retrieved 6 February 2024 Lietuvos Respublikos krasto apsaugos ministerija Titulinis PDF Retrieved 24 December 2014 permanent dead link Cepinskyte 2016 LRT lt 2022 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay Gaidys Arvydas Knezys Stasys Speciunas Vytautas Lietuvos Didziosios Kunigaikstystes kariuomene in Lithuanian Visuotine lietuviu enciklopedija Retrieved 2 May 2021 Smidtas Eligijus 2019 Su kokia kavalerija Lietuva pasitiko kryziuocius XIII amziuje Lietuvos istorijos studijos Vilnius University Press 15 Retrieved 21 June 2021 Vitkunas Manvydas 2011 Kada lietuviai pradejo kautis raiti Lituanistica General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences 59 Retrieved 21 June 2021 a b c d e Nuo seniausiu laiku iki XX a pradzios Lietuvos kariuomene www kariuomene lt in Lithuanian Archived from the original on 25 October 2021 Retrieved 12 October 2021 Flora S J S Pachauri Vidhu 5 October 2019 Handbook on Biological Warfare Preparedness Academic Press p 5 ISBN 978 0 12 812055 2 Vaicenonis 2002 p 144 a b Vaicenonis 2002 p 150 Vaicenonis 2002 p 151 a b Vaicenonis 2002 p 152 a b Vaicenonis 2002 p 158 Vaicenonis 2002 p 170 a b Vaicenonis 2002 p 172 Vaicenonis 2002 p 146 a b Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajegos 1918 1940 in Lithuanian Visuotine lietuviu enciklopedija Retrieved 2 May 2021 a b The fight for Lithuanian statehood From ancient times to NATO Archived from the original on 3 May 2021 Retrieved 3 May 2021 Tyrimu laboratorija Modernizmasateiciai lt in Lithuanian 3 February 2019 Retrieved 4 February 2022 Knezys Stasys Lietuvos liaudies kariuomene Visuotine lietuviu enciklopedija in Lithuanian Retrieved 28 January 2022 Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajegos po nepriklausomybes atkurimo in Lithuanian Visuotine lietuviu enciklopedija Retrieved 2 May 2021 Compulsory basic military service discontinued Ministry of National Defence Archived from the original on 26 June 2010 Retrieved 9 March 2009 Conscription notices to be sent to 37 000 men in Lithuania Lietuvos Respublikos krasto apsaugos sistemos organizavimo ir karo tarnybos įstatymas in Lithuanian Office of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Retrieved 2 May 2021 Valstybes sienos ir jos apsaugos įstatymas Office of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania in Lithuanian 5 May 2000 Retrieved 28 August 2021 Viesojo saugumo tarnyba Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia Retrieved 11 August 2021 a b Andrukaityte Milena 8 May 2023 Lithuania s State Defence Council backs proposal to create army division LRT Retrieved 22 July 2023 Lithuanian Armed Forces Structure Air Force Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania Archived from the original on 17 October 2014 Retrieved 24 December 2014 Lithuanian Armed Forces Structure Navy Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania Archived from the original on 17 October 2014 Retrieved 24 December 2014 Lithuanian Armed Forces Structure Navy Command Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania Archived from the original on 17 October 2014 Retrieved 24 December 2014 Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania Archived from the original on 24 December 2014 Retrieved 24 December 2014 a b c Lithuanian Armed Forces Structure Special Forces Archived from the original on 8 August 2016 Retrieved 24 December 2014 Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania News News archives News archive 2009 News archive 2009 03 Archived from the original on 22 December 2017 Retrieved 24 December 2014 Baltic Defence Co operation Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs January 2002 Archived from the original on 5 August 2011 Retrieved 11 August 2012 Nordic Countries Invite Baltics to Join Defence Co operation Framework Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs 21 January 2011 Archived from the original on 8 June 2012 Retrieved 11 August 2012 Joint Baltic Military Staff to Be Established Estonian Public Broadcasting 9 November 2012 Archived from the original on 11 November 2012 Retrieved 25 November 2012 Baltic Defence Ministers announced new defence cooperation initiatives Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania 12 December 2011 Archived from the original on 23 July 2012 Retrieved 11 August 2012 Lithuanian Armed Forces Multinational operations In remembrance Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania Archived from the original on 18 October 2018 Retrieved 24 December 2014 Hackett 2022 p 124 125 As of this edit this article uses content from Lithuanian Armed Forces authored by Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania which is licensed in a way that permits reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3 0 Unported License but not under the GFDL All relevant terms must be followed Sources editCepinskyte Agne 6 June 2016 Lithuania Reinstates Conscription Implications on Security National Identity and Gender Roles Foreign Policy Research Institute Hackett James ed 14 February 2022 The 2022 Military Balance Chart The Military Balance 122 1 International Institute for Strategic Studies ISSN 0459 7222 LRT lt BNS 17 March 2022 Lithuania raises defence spending to 2 52 percent of GDP LRT Sytas Andrius 23 June 2022 Lithuania president eyes hike in defence spending to host more NATO troops Reuters Vilnius Vaicenonis Jonas 2002 Lietuvos kariuomenes skaiciai 1920 1939 m PDF Karo Archyvas in Lithuanian 17 Vilnius Archived from the original PDF on 15 December 2022 Retrieved 1 August 2023 Further reading editThe Military Strategy of the Republic of Lithuania Stefan Marx Lithuania s Defence Structure Jane s Intelligence Review September 1993 p 407 409External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Military of Lithuania Official website nbsp Official Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania website Official Joint Headquarters of Lithuanian Armed Forces website Official YouTube channel of Lithuanian Armed Forces Official NATO Energy Security Center of Excellence website Official General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lithuanian Armed Forces amp oldid 1220748325, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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