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Lithuania strengthens defense capabilities with new military brigade: defense ministry

Xinhua, January 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

The motorized Infantry Brigade Zemaitija has been officially established within the Lithuanian Armed Forces to strengthen the country's defense capabilities, the defense ministry of Lithuania said Friday.

Zemaitija, established in western Lithuania, is Lithuania's second military brigade. In conjunction with the country's mechanized infantry brigade Iron Wolf, it is to form the base for the Lithuanian Land Force, the defense ministry added.

"By having two brigades, we will be able to respond faster to the potential threats in the country, ensure proper hosting of the allied forces and implement collective defense operations," Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas said during the official inauguration ceremony of the brigade in Klaipeda, western Lithuania.

Currently, the brigade is composed of 1,500 soldiers with plans for it to grow to 2,000, reports Klaipeda's daily Vakaru Ekspresas. Complete formation of the brigade is planned by 2021.

Lithuania, a small Baltic State, has stepped up its defense capabilities, citing increased security threats in the Eastern Europe. In recent years, the country has increased its defense spending, reintroduced mandatory military service and supplemented its military hardware. Enditem