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]
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] In 2024, the budget was raised to €2.3 billion and is projected to reach 3.03% of GDP.[3]
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
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
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]
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
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]
Modern reconstruction of the Lithuanian fighters from the 14-15th century
17th century
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
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)
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
Size of active Lithuanian Army during the interwar
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]
After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania rapidly increased the defence spending, becoming one of the top spenders by GDP in the NATO military alliance.[27] The following years marked major acquisitions, including M142 HIMARS with the ATACMStactical ballistic missiles, additional NASAMS medium-range air defence systems and artillery ammunition.[28] In 2023, Lithuanian leadership approved the plans to form an army division, based on the three army brigades.[29] As part of the plan, the country also decided to acquire Leopard 2 tanks.[30] In 2023, Germany agreed to deploy a brigade in Lithuania on a permanent basis.[31] The Bundeswehr brigade, named Panzerbrigade 45, is scheduled to be deployed by 2027 and will consist of around 5000 troops.[32]
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.
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 ŽemaitijaMotorized infantry Brigade, which has three battalions and one artillery battalion as well. The third, AukštaitijaLight 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.
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.[29] The division-sized unit would have enhanced capabilities, including new tank, reconnaissance, engineering and artillery battalions.[29]
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.
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.[37] 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.[38] The Navy uses patrol ships for coastal surveillance.
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.[39] The Special Operations Force is formed from the Special Operations Unit.[40]
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.[40]
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.
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.[42]
In January 2011, the Baltic states were invited to join Nordic Defence Cooperation, the defence framework of the Nordic countries.[43] In November 2012, the three countries agreed to create a joint military staff in 2013.[44] 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.[45]
Foreign missions and operations
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).[46]
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).[47]
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]
^"Tyrimų laboratorija". Modernizmasateiciai.lt (in Lithuanian). 3 February 2019. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
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