Lithuanian Armed Forces

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Lithuanian Armed Forces
Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajėgos
Special Operations Force

War time only:
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The Lithuanian Armed Forces (

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.

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] In 2024, the budget was raised to €2.3 billion and is projected to reach 3.03% of GDP.[3]

History

Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army

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

From the 12th century's end and into the 13th century, Lithuania frequently went to war against the western and southwestern

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

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.

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]

  • Battle of Grunwald (1410) was one of the largest in medieval Europe
    medieval Europe

15th century

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

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]

  • The victory of the Polish-Lithuanian forces over the Grand Duchy of Moscow at the Battle of Orsha in 1514
    The victory of the Polish-Lithuanian forces over the
    Grand Duchy of Moscow at the Battle of Orsha
    in 1514
  • Modern reconstruction of the Lithuanian fighters from the 14-15th century
    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 Life Dragoons Regiment, which formed part of the army's Royal Guards (1775)

During the

Second Partition.[7]

The Polish and Lithuanian armies put up a spirited fight against the

Third Partition, and their respective armies being disbanded.[7]

Interwar and post-war periods

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

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

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

Following the

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

Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.[24][25] NATO also responded by establishing the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence in 2017 with a battlegroup in Lithuania which was led by Germany.[26]

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Leopard 2 tank with EuroTrophy Active protection system

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 ATACMS tactical 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's 45th Panzer Brigade, consisting of ~5,000 troops, is scheduled to be deployed by 2027.[32] On 28 January 2025, the 1st Division was re-created.

Organization

Structure of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, 2025 (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.[33] 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.[34]

Logistics Command medics during „Allied Spirit 2025“ exercise

The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Force, Lithuanian Air Force, Lithuanian Navy, Lithuanian Special Operations Force and other units:[35][36]

Lithuanian Military Police during „Allied Spirit 2025“ exercise

Support branches of the Armed Forces:

Separate units directly subordinated to the Armed Forces:

Directly subordinated to 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.[37]

Lithuanian Land Forces

Main article: Lithuanian Land Forces
Lithuanian 1st Division soldiers during „Allied Spirit 2025“ exercise

The core of the Lithuanian Land Forces structure is the

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 Forces Training Center.

Lithuanian PzH 2000 battery of General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion during an exercise
1st Division HIMARS battery during Operation „Baltic Alliance“

The Lithuanian Land forces use equipment compatible with NATO standards. Since 2007, the standard assault rifle is the German

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.[29] The 1st Division would have enhanced capabilities, including new tank, reconnaissance, engineering and artillery battalions.[29]

Lithuanian Air Force

Main article: Lithuanian Air Force
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

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

EC-145
.

Lithuanian Navy

Main article: Lithuanian Navy
Lithuanian Naval Forces Flyvefisken-class ship Sėlis
Marine fusiliers Boarding team

The Navy has over 600 personnel. The Navy consists of the Warship Flotilla, the Sea Coastal Surveillance System, 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.

Commander in Chief
of the Lithuanian Navy is Flotilla Admiral Giedrius Premeneckas.

The Naval base and Headquarters are located in the city of Klaipėda.[40] 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.

From 1 August 2022, in order to eliminate the coastal and port defense gap and perform other functions assigned to the marines, the Naval Forces Port and Coastal Defense Service was established and partially formed by merging the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Divers Team and the Naval Forces Logistics Service Security Company into one structure, which includes two infantry (fusilier) companies. In the process of forming the unit's traditions, the soldiers serving in the unit began to be called marine fusiliers (marine infantry), and the service itself is unofficially called the Fusilier Battalion.[41]

Special Operations Forces

Main article: Lithuanian Special Operations Forces
Lithuanian Special Forces squadron Aitvaras deployed in Afghanistan.
Special Purpose Unit (YPT) operator during joint counter-terrorism exercise with ARAS.

The Lithuanian Special Operations Forces of Lithuanian Armed Forces have been in operation de facto since 2002 and it were established de jure on 3 April 2008, when amendments of National Defence System organisation and military service law came into force.[42]

The Special Operations Forces are responsible for

direct actions, and military support. They have also in charge of other tasks, e.g., protection of VIPs in peacetime. They are formed by the Special Purpose Service, Vytautas the Great Jaeger Battalion and Combat Divers Service. The Special Operations Forces organization is flexible, which makes it easy to form squadrons intended for specific operations and missions. The Special Operations Forces 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.[43]

The Special Operations Forces Squadron "Aitvaras" was deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. From 2005 to 2006 its squadrons were on standby as part of the NATO Response Force.[43]

International cooperation

Lithuanian Bandvagn 206 helping an Afghan National Police vehicle in the snow

Lithuania has been a member of

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

See also: Baltic Air Policing and NATO Enhanced Forward Presence
F-16AM Fighting Falcon

Soon after the restoration of independence, Lithuania

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.

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

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.[45]

In January 2011, the Baltic states were invited to join Nordic Defence Cooperation, the defence framework of the Nordic countries.[46] In November 2012, the three countries agreed to create a joint military staff in 2013.[47] 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.[48]

Foreign missions and operations

Lithuanian soldiers have taken part in international operations since 1993. From the summer of 2005 until 2014,

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).[49]

Current operations (in 2022)

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

Main article: List of equipment of the Lithuanian Armed Forces

Ranks

Main article: Lithuanian military ranks and insignia

See also

Notes

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).[50]

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]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Hackett 2022, p. 124.
  2. ^ a b c Hackett 2022, p. 125.
  3. ^ a b c "Budget Statement". Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
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  5. ^ Čepinskytė 2016.
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  12. ^ a b Vaičenonis 2002, p. 150.
  13. ^ Vaičenonis 2002, p. 151.
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