This marks the first time soldiers from the country will be on a permanent foreign deployment since World War II.
They launched its first permanent foreign troop deployment since World War II on Tuesday — a 5,000-strong armored brigade in Lithuania — as Berlin moves to bolster NATO’s eastern flank in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
According to the German military’s lobbying group, the newly created 45th Armored Brigade was formally activated during a ceremony outside Vilnius.
“We have a clear mission. We have to ensure the protection, freedom and security of our Lithuanian allies here on NATO’s eastern flank,” said Brigadier General Christoph Huber, commander of the German brigade in the NATO ally.
Berlin pledged the long-term deployment in 2023, breaking with decades of German defense policy that avoided permanent stationing of combat troops abroad. The unit is set to be fully operational by 2027 and will eventually be based in a new military complex in Rūdninkai, roughly 30 kilometers south of Vilnius. Until then, troops will operate out of temporary Lithuanian bases.
The plan includes frontline forces and support units — such as a medical center, signal company, and command support teams — across multiple locations.
Currently, 150 German troops are stationed in Lithuania. That number is expected to reach 500 by the end of the year.
Germany had previously deployed troops to Afghanistan, though not permanently.
The US is tied to the EU through NATO. If one says they are attacked, we have to defend them. This seems dangerous to me.
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