The draft amendment to the law the principal structure of the Armed Forces and limit numbers of military personnel considered by the State Defence Council stipulates that the Infantry Division will be established by forming the necessary new or stepping up the existing units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
A new Artillery Regiment is proposed to be established and the existing units Col Juozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion and the Air Force Air Defence Battalion are proposed to be reorganized as Col Juozas Vitkus Engineer Regiment and the Air Force Air Defence Regiment. Weaponry systems required for the reorganization have already been ordered. Also, King Mindaugas Hussar Battalion is planned to be reorganized as King Mindaugas Tank Battalion.
The draft amendment also proposes establishment of a Harbor and Littoral Defence Service of the Navy and a Cyber Defence Command which would integrate the Lithuanian Great Hetman Kristupas Radvila Perkūnas Communications and Information Systems Battalion and the IT Service.
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.
The State Defence Council also approved the increase of the maximum number of the mandatory military service conscripts, the decision should be implemented in several stages following the Seimas’ approval of the conscription reform and would bring Lithuania closer to a universal conscription model. Draft amendment to the law the principal structure of the Armed Forces and limit numbers of military personnel stipulates an increase in the overall limit personnel number from 20 840 to 29 380 and the number of the Initial Mandatory Military Service conscripts from 4 240 to 7 040.
The changes introduced to the structure of the Lithuanian Armed Forces by the establishment of the division and other new units, also the military service modifications, will require additional appropriations for national defence, however, the relentless and persistent Russian threat needs an urgent boost in defence.
