On March 17 the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania approved the proposal to increase the national defence budget by approx. EUR 298 million this year, thus strengthening combat capabilities of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The funds will be spent for acquiring critical weaponry, equipment and ammunition supplies, the need for additional financing to that end amounts to approx. EUR 257.6 million. The remaining additional appropriations, approx. EUR 40.4 million, will be used to ensure Host Nation Support to allied forces deploying to Lithuania.
The stepped up budget will amount of 2.52% of GDP. According to Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas, the EUR 257.6 million part of the addition will be dedicated for weaponry (EUR 158.5 million), ammunition (EUR 66.8 million), cybersecurity (EUR 10.7 million), and other necessities, such as bulletproof vests, communications equipment or medical supplies (EUR 21.6 million).
“Additional spending for national defence will allow us complete ahead of schedule a part of the planned weaponry acquisitions necessary for strengthening the defensive power of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and hosting NATO reinforcements deploying to Lithuania. Allied presence in our region is the guarantor of our security, we have to make sure they have proper service conditions while with us,” says Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas says.
Additional budgetary resources for defence will also allow continuing the implementation of priority projects that increase combat power of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and correspond to the geopolitical situation and existing potential threats. Weaponry and equipment acquisitions have been planned, including Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle procurement, speeding up acquisition of multiple rocket launchers and other necessary weaponry, stocking up ammunitions, and hardware for strengthening cybersecurity.
The EUR 40.4 million part of the additional defence spending will go towards Host Nation Support for allied troops deployed to Lithuania. The appropriations will finance development of three additional stationary military camps that will accommodate 800 troops each, and one mobile field camp for 1.500 military personnel. Before the stationary camps are ready, three temporary facilities will be set up. The planned camps will be equipped with all necessary military infrastructure – barracks, administrative premises, mess halls, etc. The infrastructure development for allied forces will kick off as soon as procurement procedures have been completed.
The number of NATO personnel serving in Lithuania has increased as a result of the changed geopolitical situation: NATO allies are deploying additional capabilities to the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group at Rukla to sustain deterrence and defence, a rotational heavy armour U.S. Army battalion is deployed in Pabradė, the NATO Air Policing Mission is operating out of Šiauliai. Allied troops are also constantly deploying to Lithuania to train joint operations at international exercises.
Modernization and development of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, as well as enhancement of infrastructure and service conditions for the deploying allied troops is an unceasing process which has been accelerated yet more by the Russian war in Ukraine.
