Lithuania wants 54 new tanks in tweak to land forces layout
Lithuania’s chief of defense, Lt. Gen. Valdemaras Rupšys, has announced the country’s military aims to acquire up to 54 tanks to strengthen the combat capacities of the Lithuanian land forces.
“We are proposing to transform one mechanized infantry battalion into a tank battalion,” Rupšys said, as quoted by local broadcaster TV3.
The defense chief said that relevant recommendations had been submitted to the Lithuanian government as part of the nation’s efforts to create a division-sized unit within its armed forces. The unit will operate infantry fighting vehicles and tanks, among others.
TV3 hat geschrieben:Lietuvai reikėtų tankų Kariuomenės vado teigimu, kuriant nacionalinę diviziją, reikėtų spręsti, kokias užduotis pavesti „Geležinio vilko“ brigadai.
„Tai ne tik manevrinė gynyba, tai ir galimybė kontraatakuoti. Mes pilnai svarstome ir teikiama rekomendacijas politinei vadovybei, kad reikėtų [brigadą] „sunkinti“. O ką reiškia „sunkinimas“? Teikiame siūlymą, kad vieną mechanizuotų pėstininkų batalioną pakeistume į tankų batalioną, <...> nupirkti tankų platformą ir įdiegti į mūsų ginkluotę“, – dėstė V. Rupšys.
Jo tvirtinimu, lietuviškai divizija reikėtų įvairios paskirties tankų.
„Ir evakavimo tankų, ir, prie tų įprastų tankų platformų, reikėtų tiltų klotuvų. <...> Maksimaliai reikėtų 54 [tankų]. Yra visokių variantų, bet kalbu apie maksimalų variantą“, – aiškino kariuomenės vadas.
Dem Artikel von TV3 zufolge wollen die litauischen Streitkräfte bis zu 54 Panzer beschaffen, darunter Kampfpanzer, Bergepanzer und Brückenlegepanzer.
Lithuanian president criticises minister‘s Facebook posts about German tanks
On Wednesday, Nausėda visited a military town under construction in the Šilalė district. Asked about the purchase of tanks for the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Nausėda said that this information was spread “not entirely correctly”.
“We agreed in the State Defence Council that things that are of restricted use should be of restricted use and should not be shared on Facebook right after the meeting,” the president said.
“I understand that it may seem to some to be a very important part of the job to share the freshest information on Facebook, but it really should not be the primary function of a minister or any other public official. Especially since you always have to think about the secondary consequences of making such information public,” he added.
Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas told journalists after the State Defence Council (VGT) meeting on Monday that Lithuania “will sign a letter of intent with German manufacturers” on the acquisition of Leopard tanks.
He later explained on Facebook that “the Lithuanian Armed Forces looked into German Leopard, American Abrams, and Korean Black Panther tanks” and chose the German tanks because they meet “the operational requirements set by the Lithuanian Defence Staff best”.
“It’s a pity that we have to keep reminding the seemingly grown-up people who are members of VGT about this [not sharing information]. I hope we will draw the right conclusions,” Nausėda said.
Opposition members of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence (NSGK) have also criticised Aušauskas’ statements for reducing Lithuania’s bargaining power.
Infantry Division validation and Leopard 2 tank platform acquisition approved
January 23, the State Defence Council has approved the proposition of the Ministry of National Defence to add a new unit, an Infantry Division, to the Law on Establishing the Principal Structure of the Armed Forces, and the proposed choice of a heavy capability a division needs – the Leopard 2 tank platform.
The other direction of the Infantry Brigade development is acquisition of new weaponry systems in order to increase combat power and maneuver defence of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Therefore, the State Defence Council has discussed the best heavy component (tank unit) platform to that end.
The decision that the German Leopard 2 tank platform was the most efficient choice was based on an additional assessment carried out by the Ministry of National Defence and other relevant institutions on the political, economic (industrial) and financial aspects of the matter. Earlier, a military assessment also pointed out the Leopard 2 platform as the most efficient pick.
Der litauische Landesverteidigungsrat Valstybės gynimo taryboje (VGT) hat heute die Beschaffung von Kampfpanzern Leopard 2 beschlossen. Deutschland hat Informationen zu den vorläufigen Kosten des Pakets übermittelt, woraufhin die Kaufentscheidung gefällt wurde.
Valstybės gynimo taryboje – svarbūs sprendimai dėl nacionalinės divizijos sunkinimo
Minister of National Defence D. Šakalienė departs on her first trip to Berlin
Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė will make her first official visit to Germany next Monday to sign a confirmation of the Leopard tank acquisition.
Lithuania procures LEOPARD 2 A8 main battle tanks from KNDS
On behalf of the Lithuanian Defence Materiel Agency under the Ministry of National Defence (DMA), the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has signed a contract with KNDS Deutschland for the delivery of 44 LEOPARD 2 A8 tanks to the Lithuanian Army. This is the first time in its history that Lithuania has set up an armoured unit and so becomes the 23rd LEOPARD 2 user nation.
The contract is worth EUR 950 million and, in addition to the LEOPARD 2 A8 main battle tanks, includes a comprehensive spare parts and logistics package.
Lithuania was the first nation to implement the plan to procure the LEOPARD 2 A8 main battle tank together with the Federal Republic of Germany as part of the so-called Common Procurement Agreement, thus making a significant contribution to Europe's common defence capability. Further countries are planning to join this joint procurement project.
