Small arms of the Lithuanian army 1840. Only with the help of NATO forces can the Lithuanian army be calm for the security of its territory

The Lithuanian Army (lit. Lietuvós kariuómenė) is the armed forces of the Republic of Lithuania. The concept of "Lithuanian Army" is mainly applied to the armed forces of the Republic of Lithuania, which existed from 1918 to 1940, before joining the USSR. In the early period, the Lithuanian Armed Forces existed from 1236, which can be called the time of appearance until 1251, as well as from 1263 (from 1251 to 1263 Lithuania was a kingdom) and until 1569 were called the Army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (lit. Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės kariuomenė). In 1569 - 1795 - the Army of the Republic of the Polish Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (lit. Lenkijos Karunos ir Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės Respublikos kariuomenė). The troops of the current Republic of Lithuania are usually called the Armed Forces of Lithuania (lit. Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajėgos).
The starting point for the emergence of the Lithuanian Armed Forces can be considered the summer of 1236, when the Lithuanian captivity, united under the command of Prince Vikint (according to other sources of Ringold), at the entrance to the battle of Saula, defeated the expeditionary corps of the Order of the Sword-bearers and their allies, who undertook the first crusade against Lithuania and Samogitia. Knights from Western Europe, baptized Estonians, Livs, Latgalians, a detachment of two hundred Pskovians, as well as Novgorod warriors took part in the campaign on the side of the Order of the Swordsmen.
The battle took place when near the Saule area. The crusaders returning from the campaign were attacked by detachments of Samogitians and Semigallians. The localization of Saule has recently been controversial, usually this place is identified with the modern city of Siauliai in Lithuania. According to another version, the battle took place near the Latvian village of Vetssaule. Saule means sun in both Latvian and Lithuanian.
The heavy cavalry of the crusaders was forced to fight in unfavorable conditions of swampy terrain, where all the advantages were on the side of the lightly armed Samogitians and Semigallians. The pagan army may have been led by Vikint and Erdivil, mentioned in the treaty of 1219 as Samogitian princes.
The crusaders were defeated and suffered heavy losses. In the battle, Grand Master Volkvin von Naumburg, who led the campaign, as well as 48 knights of the Order of the Sword, and many allies of the Order, including almost all (180 out of 200) Pskovians, died.
A new starting point in the history of the Lithuanian Armed Forces is November 23, 1918, when the Prime Minister of Lithuania A. Voldemaras signed a decree that marked the beginning of the formation of a regular Lithuanian army. Now this day is celebrated as the Day of the Armed Forces of Lithuania (Day of Lithuanian Warriors).
Now, on the occasion of the Day of the Armed Forces, a solemn mass is being held in Vilnius in the Church of St. Ignatius, a solemn formation of the military on Cathedral Square and a parade on Gedemino Square.
It should be noted that the first Lithuanian units on the territory of the Russian Empire were formed as early as 1917. These were:
- 1st separate Lithuanian battalion in Vitebsk (1500 people)
- Lithuanian reserve battalion in Smolensk (500-600 people)
- Lithuanian battalion in Rivne (700 people)
- Lithuanian battalion. Vytautas the Great in Siberia (500 people)
- Lithuanian dragoon division in Valka (Latvia, 150 people)
But at the beginning of 1918 they were disbanded.
On December 20, 1918, the chairman of the Council of Lithuania, Antanas Smetona, and the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Augustinas Voldemaras, arrived in Germany to receive help in the formation of the armed forces. Until the end of the year, 100 million marks of reparations were received from Germany, which were used to purchase weapons for the army. Basically, it was the weapons left by the German troops in Lithuania. At the end of December 1918, the new Lithuanian government, headed by Mykolas Slezheviches, issued an appeal calling for voluntarily joining the army to defend the homeland. Volunteers were promised to be given land. At the same time, Germany began to form volunteer units in the Baltics, mainly from ethnic Germans. Parts of the 1st German Volunteer Division arrived in Lithuania from Germany in January 1919, and stayed there until July 1919.
Since there were not many volunteers to serve in the army, on March 5, 1919, mobilization into the Lithuanian army was announced. By the end of the summer, its number had already reached eight thousand people. At the same time, the Lithuanian army had to fight fierce battles with units of the Red Army, which invaded Lithuania from the east. On January 5, 1919, Soviet troops entered Vilnius, and on January 15, Siauliai. The successful offensive of the Red Army was stopped by the Lithuanians, only with the help of the German volunteer corps (10 thousand people) at Kedainaya. On February 10, the combined German-Lithuanian troops went on the offensive and defeated the Red Army at Sheta near Kaunas and forced it to retreat. The Germans participated in the fighting until the end of May 1919, as the German government was concerned about the advance of the Red Army to the borders of East Prussia. On April 19, 1919, Poland also joined the fighting, whose troops drove parts of the Lithuanian-Belarusian Soviet Republic out of Vilnius. As a result, by the beginning of October 1919, units of the Red Army were forced to leave the territory of Lithuania and retreat to Belarus.
In July - December 1919, the Lithuanian army participated in the hostilities against the Western Russian army of General Bermondt-Avalov, which this time was supported by the German volunteer detachments of Rüdiger von der Goltz, and inflicted a defeat on Radvilishkis in November, and on December 15 they ousted the Western Army from territory of Lithuania.
The fighting against the Soviet troops ended on July 12, 1920, when a peace treaty was signed between Lithuania and Soviet Russia, according to which Moscow recognized Lithuania's right to Vilnius. This city, occupied in June 1920 by the Red Army, after an unsuccessful attack on Warsaw, was transferred to the control of Lithuanian units at the end of August. In September 1920, Poland attempted to intervene, but after fierce border battles, the Polish units, which had previously suffered heavy losses in battles with units of the Red Army, were stopped.
On October 7, 1920, an armistice agreement was signed in Suwalki through the mediation of the Entente. However, the Lithuanian-Belarusian division of the Polish army under the command of General Lucian Zheligovsky, allegedly out of obedience to the Polish government, broke the resistance of the Lithuanian troops and on October 9 took Vilnius, which was annexed to Poland in 1922. The fighting between the Polish and Lithuanian troops was stopped at the end of November 1920.

The events of 1918-1921 in Lithuania are usually called the War of Independence, which is actually divided into three wars: the Lithuanian-Soviet, Lithuanian-Polish and the war against the Western army. Since May 7, 1919, the commander-in-chief of the Lithuanian army was General Silvestras Zhukauskas (Sylvester Zhukovsky), a former major general of the Russian army (before being appointed commander-in-chief, he was the chief of the General Staff of the Lithuanian army). During the War of Independence, the Lithuanian army lost 1444 killed, over 2600 wounded and over 800 missing.
During the War of Independence in 1918-1921, the following units were formed in Lithuania:
- 1st infantry regiment of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas. Formed in Vilnius on November 23, 1918.
- 2nd infantry regiment of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Algirdas. Formed in Vilnius on December 5, 1918.
- 3rd infantry regiment of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas. Formed in Raseiniai on May 4, 1919, disbanded in 1926 and re-formed in 1935.
- 4th Infantry Regiment of the King of Lithuania Mindaugas. Formed in Panevezys at the beginning of January 1919.
- 5th Infantry Regiment of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Kestutis. Formed in Kaunas on March 2, 1919 on the basis of the Vilnius battalion. It received its name on February 7, 1920.
- 6th Infantry Regiment of Pilensky Prince Margis. Formed on June 15, 1919 on the basis of the Marijampole Battalion of the 2nd Infantry Regiment. Disbanded in 1926, re-formed in 1935.
- 7th Infantry Regiment of Samogitian prince Butigeidis. Formed in Kaunas on January 9, 1919. It received its name on January 9, 1920.
- 8th Infantry Regiment of Kaunas Prince Vaidotas. Formed in Ukmerge on May 12, 1919. It received its name on February 16, 1920.
- 9th Infantry Regiment of Prince of Lithuania Vityanis. Formed from a partisan detachment in 1919. It received its name on March 1, 1920.
- 10th Infantry Marijampolsky Regiment. Formed on the basis of the 1st Reserve Battalion of the 1st Infantry Regiment on June 1, 1919. It received its name on August 1, 1920. Disbanded March 1, 1924.
- 11th Vilnius Infantry Regiment. Formed in Kaunas on October 14, 1920. In 1923 he was reorganized into a border regiment. Disbanded March 1, 1924.
- 12th Kaunas Infantry Regiment. Formed in Kaunas on October 12, 1920. In 1923 he was reorganized into a border regiment. Disbanded March 1, 1924.
- 13th Infantry Volunteer Regiment. Formed in Kaunas and Raudondvaris on October 12, 1920. Disbanded 1 July 1922.
- 1st border regiment, formed on February 1, 1920, disbanded on March 1, 1924.
- 2nd border regiment, formed on September 1, 1922, disbanded on July 1, 1923.
- 1st Belarusian regiment, formed in Grodno on December 1, 1918, disbanded on June 15, 1919. Commander - Colonel Lavrentiev.
- Belarusian battalion, formed in Grodno on March 11, 1919, disbanded on August 10, 1923.
- 1st Samogitian infantry battalion, formed in Taurage on February 4, 1919, disbanded on June 4, 1919.
- a separate Siauliai battalion, formed in Siauliai on April 12, 1919, included in the 3rd Infantry Regiment on September 18, 1919.
- 2nd separate battalion, formed in Kaunas on June 20, 1919, disbanded on March 16, 1920.
- reserve battalion, formed in Kaunas on September 1, 1920, disbanded on July 31, 1921.
- training battalion, formed in Kaunas in October 1920, disbanded on 01/01/1924.
- mortar battalion, formed in 1921, disbanded on January 6, 1926.
- 1st Hussars of the Grand Hetman of the Lithuanian Prince J. Radvila Regiment. Formed in Kaunas in January 1919. Named on September 25, 1927.
- 2nd Lancers of the Lithuanian Princess Birute Regiment. Formed in Kaunas on October 30, 1920. It received its name on September 30, 1928.
- 3rd Dragoon "Iron Wolf" regiment. Formed at Raudondvaris on 1 October 1920, disbanded in 1924, re-formed in 1935. He received his name and banner in 1937.
- 1st Artillery Regiment. Formed August 1, 1921, disbanded July 31, 1926, re-formed in 1935.
- 2nd Artillery Regiment. Formed August 9, 1921.
- 3rd Artillery Regiment. Formed September 1, 1921.
- 4th artillery regiment. Formed in 1920.
At the same time, it should be noted that from the moment of its creation, the armed forces of Lithuania were created using the charters of the former Russian Imperial Army and many former Russian officers served in the Lithuanian army.

In the period from November 24, 1923 to March 31, 1931, there were no infantry divisions in Lithuania, and the territory of the state itself was divided into three military districts (1st - Panevezys, 2nd - Kaunas, 3rd - Siauliai). At the beginning of 1927, the Lithuanian army consisted of the following branches of service:
1. Infantry:
- 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th infantry regiments.
2. Cavalry:
- 1st Hussars and 2nd Lancers.
3. Artillery:
- 2nd, 3rd, 4th artillery regiments and a training battery.
4. Engineering parts:
- pioneer battalion,
- communications battalion,
- automobile company,
- railway company,
- armored squad,
- battalion of armored trains (2 trains)
- aviation.
5. Territorial parts:
- 17 district commandant's offices,
- penal company,
- military prison
- concentration camp.
In January 1935, the reorganization of the Lithuanian army began. On May 1, 1935, the 3rd and 6th infantry, 1st artillery and 3rd dragoon regiments were again formed, the pioneer battalion was reorganized into the 1st engineer battalion. The railway company was transformed into the 2nd engineer battalion. On August 1, 1935, the navy was created, in which, however, there was only one ship - the training minesweeper Prezidentas A. Smetona.

Before the outbreak of World War II, the Lithuanian army consisted of the following units:
Military educational institutions:
- Higher military school named after Vytautas the Great
- Military school named after the First President of Lithuania
- 1st Infantry Division
- 1st infantry regiment of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas (3 battalions, 2601 people)
- 3rd infantry regiment of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas (3 battalions, 1407 people)
- 4th Infantry Regiment of the King of Lithuania Mindaugas (3 battalions, 1435 people)
- 1st artillery regiment (743 people)
- 2nd artillery regiment (536 people)
- 2nd Infantry Division
- 2nd infantry regiment of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Algirdas (2 battalions, 1135 people)
- 5th infantry regiment of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Kestutis (2 battalions, 1083 people)
- 9th Infantry Regiment of the Prince of Lithuania Vityanis (2 battalions, 1341 people)
- 3rd artillery regiment (782 people)
- 3rd Infantry Division
- 6th Infantry Regiment of Pilensky Prince Margis (2 battalions, 1299 people)
- 7th Infantry Regiment of Samogitian prince Butigeidis (2 battalions, 1513 people)
- 8th infantry regiment of Kaunas Prince Vaidotas (2 battalions, 1128 people)
- 4th artillery regiment (767 people)
- cavalry brigade
- 1st Hussars of the Grand Hetman of the Lithuanian Prince J. Radvila Regiment (1028 people)
- 2nd Lancers of the Lithuanian Princess Birute Regiment (995 people)
- 3rd Dragoon "Iron Wolf" regiment (1149 people)
- repair squadron
- horse artillery group (3 batteries of 4 76.2-mm guns)
- armored division (6 armored vehicles "Landsverk L-182", seconded to the 1st cavalry regiment - No. KAM 5, 6; to the 2nd cavalry regiment - No. 7, 8; to the 3rd cavalry regiment - No. 9, 10)
- heavy artillery regiment (2 artillery groups of 3 batteries, 36 105-mm howitzers)
- 1st engineering battalion
- 2nd engineering battalion
- communications battalion
- separate Vytautas the Great infantry company
- auto detachment (2 companies)
- armored detachment (476 people, 44 light tanks)
- 1st training company (12 tanks "Renault FT-17" (each tank had its own name)
- 2nd company (16 tanks "Vickers-Carden-Lloyd M.1933", No. KAM 50-55, 61-65, 71-75)
- 3rd company (16 tanks "Vickers-Carden-Lloyd M.1936", No. KAM 100-105, 111-115, 121-125)
- a company of armored vehicles (4 "Ehrhardt / Daimler" (No. KAM 1-4))
Also in the detachment there were 5 cars and 31 trucks, 10 motorcycles (including 4 with sidecars).
- air defense unit
- anti-aircraft division (3 batteries, 9 75-mm guns "Vickers-Armstrong")
- searchlight company (12 searchlights from A.E.G. and 9 sound pickups from Elektroakustik)
- a company of observation posts
- a company of automatic guns (3 platoons of 20-mm guns "Oerlikon 1 II a")
- a company of heavy machine guns (3 platoons of machine guns "Maxim MG 08")
- 5 air defense companies (2 platoons with 3 cannons “2cm Flak28”)
- 12 border guard battalions
- 22 military district commandant's offices, railway commandant's office and commandant's office of the training ground
- military aviation (117 aircraft)
- 1st (reconnaissance) group (22 aircraft)
- 2nd Squadron (7 ANBO-41)
- 6th squadron (3 ANBO-41, 2 ANBO-IV, 1 ANBO-51, 2 Albatros J.II)
- 8th Squadron (7 ANBO-IV)
- 2nd (fighter) group (38 aircraft)
- 1st Squadron (13 Devoitine D.501)
- 5th Squadron (14 Gloster Gladiator Mk.I)
- 7th squadron (7 Fiat CR.20, 1 ANBO-51, 3 Bucker Bu 133)
- 3rd (bomber) group (30 aircraft)
- 3rd squadron (14 Ansaldo A-120)
- 4th squadron (2 de Havilland DH89A "Dragon Rapide", 2 LVG C.VI,
10 ANBO-41, 1 ANBO-51, 1 Lockheed L-5B "Vega" (Lituanica II))
- 4th (training) group (27 aircraft)
5 ANBO-III, 3 ANBO-IV, 3 ANBO-V, 2 ANBO-VI, 7 ANBO-51,
1 ANBO-VIII, 3 Bucker Bu 133, 2 Avro 626, 1 Fokker D.VII
- aviation school
- airfield security battalion (3 air defense companies)
- navy (training minesweeper "Prezidentas A. Smetona")
- "Union of shooters" ("Sauliu sajunga"), consisting of 42,000 members, as well as 15,000 in women's and 5,000 in youth units.
- 20 infantry regiments
- 1 railway regiment
- 4 squadrons (4 aircraft (3 "Klemm-35B", 1 "Piper Cub"))

After the annexation of Lithuania to the Soviet Union in August 1940, the Lithuanian army was reorganized into the 29th territorial rifle corps of the Red Army. The only training ship of the Lithuanian Navy "President Smetona", bought in 1926 from Germany, was transferred to the Soviet Baltic Fleet, where, renamed "Pirmunas" ("Excellent"), then included in the NKVD Marine Border Guard under the name "Coral", and with the beginning of World War II became part of the Baltic Fleet and was used as a patrol ship and minesweeper. On January 11, 1945, by that time renamed the minesweeper T-33, it was sunk by a German submarine or hit a mine off the island of Aegna. Lithuanian military aviation, which by the summer of 1940 had several dozen machines (mainly training and reconnaissance obsolete designs), was abolished. Nine ANBO-41s, three ANBO-51s, and one Gladiator I were transferred to service with the 29th Corps as part of the 29th Corps Aviation Squadron.

The army was armed (June 1940): 147,501 rifles, 651 signal pistols, 8,461 sabers, 14,061 helmets, 55,248 gas masks, 3,774 binoculars, 170 stereo tubes, 324 optical sights for machine guns, 12,000 pistols, 3,726 light and 924 heavy machine guns, 190 mortars. 151 20mm Oerlikon autocannon, 150 20mm Flak 28 autocannons, 110 75mm Shneider field guns M1897, 19 76.2mm M1902 field guns , 12 83.8 mm QF field guns mod. 1903, 4 x 105mm long-range guns (probably "Skoda P.z.1"), 70 x 105mm howitzers (possibly "Shneider L13S"), 2 x 155mm howitzers "Shneider" mod. 1917, 9 x 75mm anti-aircraft guns "Vickers-Armstrong", 2 40-mm anti-aircraft guns "W.Z.36 Bofors", 44 light tanks, 10 armored vehicles, 117 aircraft, 292 cars, 370 trucks and 29 ambulances, 35 buses, 184 motorcycles, 961 bicycles, 13 tractors.

The number of the Lithuanian army in 1919-1940:
- February 1919 - 8000 people
- December 1919 - about 25,000 people
- July 1920 - 23850 people
- November 1920 - 40,600 people
- January 1922 - 52963 people
- December 1926 - 14991 people
- September 01, 1939 - 22508 people, incl. 1749 officers
- September 30, 1939 - 89470 people, incl. 3292 officers
- November 1939 - 22,750 people, incl. 1880 officers
- June 01, 1940 - 28005 people, incl. 26,084 military personnel and 2,031 civilians, of which 1,728 officers, 2,091 re-enlisted (372 foremen, 985 sub-officers, 393 junior sub-officers, 341 candidate sub-officers), 22,265 conscripts (1,114 junior sub-officers, 2,301 command officers, 18,850 enlisted men)

Dislocation (1939):
Klaipeda (until March 1939): Navy, 6 pts, 1 pb 7 pts
Silute (until March 1939): 2 pb 7 pp
Palanga: aviation
Plunge: 1 pb 6 pp (since March 1939), 2 group 4 ap
Telsiai: 2 pb 6 pp (since March 1939)
Varnyai: 2 pb 8 pp, 3 group 4 ap
Žemaičiu-Naumiestis (since March 1939): 1 pb 7 pp
Taurage: 1 group 4 ap, 2 pb 7 pp (from March 1939), 3 kp (until November 1939), 2 kp
(since November 1939)
Raseiniai: 3 pb 3 pp, 2 group 2 ap
Siauliai: Headquarters 3rd Infantry Division, 1st Infantry Division 8 Infantry Division, 3rd, 4th, 5th Air Squadrons
Radviliskis: armored detachment, 2nd engineering bn
Syarejus: 2 pb 3 pp, 3 group 2 ap
Vilkavishkis: 2 pb 9 pb
Marijampole: 1 pb 9 pp, 2 group 3 ap
Prenay: 2 pb 5 pp, 3 group 3 ap
Aukshtoji Panemune: 1 pb 5 pp
Alytus: parts of 5 pp, 2 kp (until November 1939), repair squadron
Kaunas: Army Headquarters, Headquarters 2nd Infantry Division, Aviation Headquarters, 4th Air Training Group,
1,2,7 air squadrons, 1 pb 2 pp, 1 group 3 ap, 1 cp, auto detachment,
separate infantry company, military schools, 1 engineering bn, air defense detachment, communications battalion
Air units in Gaijunai
Jonava: 2 pb 2 pb
Kedainiai: 1 pb 3 pp, 1 group 2 ap, headquarters 4 pd (under formation)
Panevėžys: Headquarters 1 Infantry Division (until October 1939), PB 4 Infantry Division, Group 2 1 Ap, 6.8 Air Squadron
Vilnius (since October 1939): headquarters 1 infantry regiment, 1 infantry regiment, infantry regiment 7 infantry regiment, 3 infantry regiment, 1 ap group, 4 tank platoons, engineering company, communications company
Kupiskis: 1 pb 4 pp, 3 group 1 ap
Ukmerge: 1 pp (until October 1939), pb 4 pp (from October 1939), 1 group 1 ap

The history of the modern Lithuanian Armed Forces dates back to 1991, when, after the collapse of the USSR, a voluntary edge protection service was created in this Baltic country.

The armed forces of the country now consist of ground forces, air forces, naval forces, special operations forces, logistics (logistics) management, training and personnel management, as well as units and subdivisions of central subordination.

According to the Constitution of the country, the supreme commander of the Armed Forces is the President. The general management of them is carried out by the Minister of Defense, who is a civilian. And the direct leadership of all units and subunits through the joint headquarters is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The construction of the Lithuanian Armed Forces is aimed at maintaining a professional army in peacetime with a developed system of training and mobilization of the military reserve, which can be called up to the ranks of the Armed Forces in case of war or other emergencies.

Since March 29, 2004, Lithuania has been a full member of the North Atlantic Alliance. Since 2009, it has had an army that is recruited exclusively on a professional basis. Conscription for urgent military service was abolished in 2008.

The total strength of the Armed Forces is about 13 thousand people. The largest number of personnel in the Ground Forces is about 8 thousand people. The Air Force serves 1,000 people, the Navy - 800.

The Ground Forces are the main and most numerous type of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. About 3,500 military and civilian personnel, as well as 4,500 volunteers, serve and work in their structure.

The main task of the Armed Forces is the protection and defense of the land territory of Lithuania, as well as participation in international peacekeeping missions and operations as part of multinational units.

The core of the Lithuanian ground forces is the 1st Motorized Infantry Brigade "Iron Wolf". In addition, the land group includes the Volunteer Territory Guard Forces, the Vitkaus Engineering Battalion and a training center.

The Iron Wolf motorized infantry brigade as part of the Danish Armed Forces Motorized Infantry Division is part of the NATO Army Rapid Reaction Forces of the All-purpose Low Readiness Allied Forces.

The basis of the brigade is six battalions: four mechanized infantry, as well as an artillery battalion named after General Gedraytis (with a deployment point in the city of Rukla) and a battalion of logistics (logistics) of direct support named after Prince Vaidotas (PPD - Rukla).

The military personnel of the brigade take part in all multilateral exercises held in the region under the auspices of NATO and the EU.

Voluntary forces for the protection of the region (troops of territorial defense) consist of units formed on a voluntary basis. The main task of the DSOK is the preparation of a military-trained reserve, and in the event of a crisis, the protection and defense of the country's strategic facilities and infrastructure. In addition, territorial defense units may be entrusted with the task of receiving and providing NATO units and subunits in the event of a threat of armed aggression from other states.

The Territorial Defense Troops consist of about 700 professional servicemen, who are the basis of all units, and 4,500 volunteers - they are regularly involved in mandatory training. Failure to appear at the training camp without a good reason is punishable by law. The DSOK includes five districts of territorial defense, a dragoon training battalion named after Prince Butigeidis, as well as a company for interaction with the civilian population.

District headquarters are located in the largest cities of the country - Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Alytus and Panevezys. Each district includes a command, headquarters, up to ten infantry companies and support units. Volunteer forces are deployed throughout the territory of Lithuania and are armed with both small arms and means of combating enemy armored vehicles.

The Dragoon Training Battalion named after Prince Butigeidis is designed to train volunteers and reserve soldiers for the armed defense of the state, as well as to provide assistance to the civilian population if necessary. He is stationed in Klaipeda.

The engineering battalion named after Vitkaus is intended for engineering support of units and subunits of the Lithuanian Army. It is stationed in Kaunas. The engineering unit is also entrusted with the execution of such tasks as the neutralization of explosives throughout the country, the provision of assistance to the civilian population in case of natural disasters. The battalion is armed with the only pontoon fleet in the Baltic States.

A training center has been set up in the city of Rukla to organize combat training classes, train specialists and junior commanders of ground forces units.

The Lithuanian ground forces are armed with modern small arms: Colt, Glock pistols, M-14, M-16, G-36 automatic rifles, MG-3, Browning machine guns, various types of submachine guns and sniper rifles. To combat armored vehicles, AT-4 and Carl Gustaf grenade launchers, as well as the Javelin anti-tank missile system, are used. In addition, units and subunits of the Lithuanian Army have 60 mm and 120 mm mortars, PV1110 recoilless guns, M-50 (M-101) 105 mm howitzers. To combat aircraft, the units are armed with MANPADS "Stinger" and RBS-70. The main means of transportation are the M113 armored personnel carrier, HMMWV ("Hammer") off-road vehicles of various modifications, as well as Soviet-made equipment - BTR-60, BRDM-2, MT-LB and other models of wheeled armored vehicles. The Lithuanian army does not have heavy armored vehicles.

Thanks to the help of allies in the alliance, the SV units are now armed with the latest models of communications equipment, ammunition and uniforms.

The personnel of the ground forces are regularly involved in the performance of tasks as part of international peacekeeping missions. In particular, units of the 1st Brigade "Iron Wolf" on a rotational basis are on duty as part of the EU and NATO Rapid Reaction Forces, and the FSRC troops are part of the mission to rebuild the Ghor province in Afghanistan.

As part of the reform and optimization of the structure of the Lithuanian Army, the units continue to be equipped with the latest models of equipment and weapons. By 2015, on the basis of the Iron Wolf motorized infantry brigade, it is planned to create a mechanized brigade, as well as form a communications and information systems battalion. In addition, the leadership of the SV will continue to replace obsolete equipment and weapons with new models in accordance with NATO standards.

The Lithuanian Air Force consists of an air base, an air defense battalion, an airspace surveillance and control department, and also a depot for the repair of equipment and weapons.

The main tasks of the Air Force are the protection and defense of air borders, the provision of support to land and sea forces, the implementation of search and rescue operations, as well as the transportation of goods and personnel of the Armed Forces.

The Lithuanian Air Force is the most equipped and combat-ready among the air forces of the Baltic states. Their headquarters and command are stationed in Kaunas.

The airbase is located in the village of Zokniai near the city of Siauliai. Its airfield is the main airfield for receiving and servicing NATO aircraft in the Baltic countries. At present, it hosts aircraft of the alliance, performing on a rotational basis an air patrol mission to protect the air borders of the Baltic countries, as well as all kinds and types of aircraft of the Lithuanian Air Force.

The main task of the air base is to ensure aviation flights at any time and in any situation, as well as to maintain its infrastructure in readiness to receive and deploy allied aircraft.

The country's military aviators are armed with the C-27J Spartan transport aircraft (three units), the L-410UVP Turbolet transport aircraft (two units), the L-39ZA combat training light attack aircraft (one in September 2011 as a result of a mid-air collision during joint training with a French Air Force aircraft, the second aircraft of this type crashed), an An-2 transport and passenger aircraft (three units), a Yak-18T training light aircraft, and a Yak-52 training aircraft (two units). In addition to aircraft, the Lithuanian Air Force has nine Mi-8MTV and Mi-8T helicopters - they are used to transport cargo and people, search and rescue operations, evacuate personnel, extinguish fires, conduct airborne training for military personnel, as well as provide fire support for the troops if necessary.

Helicopters, in addition to the air base, are stationed and on duty at two search and rescue posts - in the cities of Kaunas and Nemirseta (Klaipeda region). Rotary-winged equipment is used in the interests of searching and rescuing people, transporting seriously ill patients and delivering necessary medicines for them.

The North Atlantic Alliance has already invested about 50 million euros in the reconstruction and modernization of the infrastructure of the air base. A number of works have been completed to repair and reconstruct the runway, access roads, lighting equipment, communications equipment, and hangars have been built to accommodate NATO aircraft.

The airfield in Zokniai, after the modernization of the runway, is capable of receiving aircraft of strategic, heavy military transport aviation, as well as NATO AWACS airborne early warning and control aircraft.

An air defense battalion is intended to cover important state and military facilities, units and subunits of the Armed Forces from enemy air strikes. It is armed with the Stinger and RBS-70 MANPADS, as well as the m-48 air defense system (which includes the L-70 anti-aircraft artillery gun, the CIG-790 fire control radar and the PS-7 radar). To obtain data on the air situation, the Mk-IV Giraffe and Sentinel radars are used.

The headquarters of the battalion is located in the town of Radviliskes. Air defense batteries are located in close proximity to strategic objects. In particular, after the 2001 terrorist attack in the United States, one battery is deployed near the Ignalina nuclear power plant.

In order to maintain a high level of combat readiness, the battalion's servicemen carry out combat training firing at various training grounds in Lithuania and abroad to maintain a high level of combat readiness.

Obtaining information about the air situation is carried out at the expense of radar posts located throughout the country. The following types of radars are installed on them: P-37, P-18 and TRML-3D / 32. Information from radar posts is sent to the regional airspace control and air traffic control center of the Baltnet system, which is located in the city of Karmelava. The center in Karmelava is capable of collecting and processing information on the air situation over the territory of eight states - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Belarus and the western part of Russia. The plans of the NATO command to implement the full integration of "Baltnet" into a single air defense system of the alliance.

The depot for the repair of equipment and weapons is intended for the repair and maintenance of all types of aircraft, special equipment and weapons of the air defense battalion.

The main directions of the development of the Lithuanian Air Force are the renewal of the Soviet-made radar fleet - their replacement with modern Western models, the purchase of new aircraft and helicopters, as well as the completion of the modernization of the Zokniai airbase. In addition, the media is actively discussing the issue of including in the duty schedule for patrolling the airspace of the Baltic countries aircraft of the air forces of states that are not members of the NATO bloc - Sweden and Finland.

The country's naval forces are intended to protect the maritime borders and territorial waters of Lithuania, ensure the safety of navigation, control the surface and underwater situation, and conduct search and rescue operations at sea.

The warship flotilla is the main unit of the Lithuanian Navy. It consists of a division of minesweepers, a division of patrol (patrol) boats and a division of auxiliary boats. The main tasks of the flotilla are the protection of territorial waters and the economic maritime zone of Lithuania, navigation, the port of Klaipeda, as well as search and rescue activities. The flotilla has 11 ships: two minesweepers, four patrol boats, a command ship and four auxiliary boats.

The sea and coast surveillance service is designed to control and monitor the situation within the maritime borders of Lithuania, identify ships, and manage navigation. These tasks are carried out with the help of observation posts located on the coast of the Baltic Sea near the cities of Klaipeda, Palanga and Nida.

Underwater command is designed to search for and destroy explosive ordnances that threaten the safety of navigation at sea and on the coast. In addition, the team's sappers are involved in search and rescue operations, lift various items from the seabed, and assist the country's Interior Ministry in investigating crimes.

The logistics service, which is deployed at the main naval base of the Lithuanian Navy in Klaipeda, is responsible for the comprehensive provision of the needs of the Navy, the repair and maintenance of weapons and military equipment.

The following tasks are entrusted to the coordinating center for rescue at sea: search and rescue of people at sea, elimination of the consequences of sea pollution.

Navy specialists are being trained at the training center.

Every year, Lithuanian ships and Navy personnel are allocated to the Baltic Naval Squadron "Baltron". This is a joint project of the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian navies to search for and destroy sea mines left over from World War II. In addition, the Lithuanian Navy constantly takes part in various exercises held in the Baltic Sea.

Special operations forces are intended to fight terrorism in the country and abroad, conduct an unconventional war, special intelligence, protect important persons, and carry out operations to free hostages.

The Lithuanian MTR consists of a headquarters (command), a separate Jaeger battalion named after the great Vytautas (PPD - the city of Kaunas), a special purpose service (Vilnius), a combat swimmer service (Klaipeda) and a link of combat helicopters (Zokniai air base).

Since 2002, SOF servicemen have been performing peacekeeping missions in southern Afghanistan as part of the NATO International Security Assistance Force.

The units of special operations forces are armed with the most modern models of weapons and equipment.

In order to plan, organize, and also control the process of training and preparing military personnel for the fulfillment of tasks for their intended purpose, the Training and Personnel Directorate has been created in the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

The school of the Armed Forces, the training regiment and the combat training center are subordinate to him.

The School of the Armed Forces was established in 2010 on the basis of the non-commissioned officer school in Kaunas. The main task of this educational institution is the training of junior commanders and military personnel of rare specialties. Education is organized in 67 programs.

The training regiment named after Hetman Radvila is engaged in the education and training of the rank and file. It is a kind of "gateway" to the ranks of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. It is here that specialists form the professional image of the defender of the country from civilian youth for nine weeks. In addition, on the basis of the parachute center of the regiment, special training is carried out for military personnel for the 1st Iron Wolf Brigade, MTR and units of the DSOK. The training unit is located in the city of Rukla. For practical training, there is a training ground, which is located near the village of Gayzhunai.

To consolidate the theoretical knowledge gained in practice, the Combat Training Center named after General Ramanauskas is intended. With the help of computer equipment for training the personnel of subunits and headquarters, various conditions of the situation are simulated here. The center is located in the village of Nemenchyn.

Training of officers of the Armed Forces is carried out at the Lithuanian Military Academy named after General Jonas Zemaitis, the Aviation Institute named after Gustaitis, as well as in military educational institutions of other NATO member countries.

Planning, organization and comprehensive support of the life of the troops both on the territory of Lithuania and abroad are carried out by the Logistics Department.

The directorate includes the headquarters (command), the material resources department, the military medical service, the military cartographic center, the traffic control center, the crew support service (calculations), the general support logistics battalion, the aircraft depot service.

In addition to the departments, services, units and divisions listed above, the Lithuanian Armed Forces include the Gediminas Headquarters Battalion, the military police and the military chaplain service.

The headquarters battalion is intended to perform representative functions. The main task of the military police is to exercise control over the observance of the laws and legal acts of the country both by the military personnel of the Armed Forces and in relation to them.

Since 1994, Lithuanian military personnel have been involved in peacekeeping missions and operations. The personnel of the Lithuanian Armed Forces performed peacekeeping missions in countries such as Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Georgia, Afghanistan, Macedonia, Iraq, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

As part of the military cooperation of the Baltic countries, Lithuanian components (along with Latvian and Estonian) are included in the peacekeeping battalion "Baltbat" and the joint Baltic anti-mine squadron "Baltron". Lithuanian air defense components are in the unified airspace control system of the Baltic countries - Baltnet. In addition, units of the 1st MBR "Iron Wolf" perform tasks as part of the EU Rapid Response Force and the NATO International Security Assistance Force.

Currently, about 240 military personnel of the country are in Afghanistan as part of peacekeeping missions: about 150 people - in the province of Ghor, in Kabul - military personnel of the logistics department, in Kandahar - instructors of the Air Force, in the province of Zabul, military personnel of the MTR perform tasks.

The plans of the leadership of the military department plan to reduce the number of Lithuanian military personnel stationed in Afghanistan. This will be accomplished by transferring responsibility for the restoration of Ghor province to local authorities before the end of 2013.

Thus, the armed forces of Lithuania are a military organization consisting of combat-ready, mobile, well-equipped and armed units and subunits capable of protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, as well as, if necessary, providing assistance to NATO and EU allies.

Prepared by Sergey Batraev, [email protected]

The Republic of Lithuania spends about 0.8 percent of GDP on defense (in 2012, almost $344 million). The country's army, one might say, is weak and poorly equipped, and it has no opportunities to mobilize larger forces. The basis of the ground forces is only one brigade of infantry. The armed forces of Lithuania cannot defend the country on their own, without the help of the North Atlantic Alliance. But in Lithuania there are volunteer formations ready to remember the partisan experience if the enemy suddenly attacks.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of ground forces, navy, air force and special operations forces. They lead theirs from the Lithuanian army - the army of the Republic of Lithuania in 1918-1940. Shortly after the surrender of Germany in the First World War on November 23, 1918, the authorities of the newly created Republic of Lithuania issued an act on the formation of the army. This day is celebrated as the Day of Lithuanian Warriors.

Three wars in two years

On December 20, 1918, the chairman of the Council of Lithuania, Antanas Smetona, and the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Augustinas Voldemaras, arrived in Germany to receive assistance in the formation of the armed forces. Until the end of the year, Germany paid Lithuania 100 million marks in reparations, which were used to purchase weapons for the army. Basically, it was the weapons left by the German troops in Lithuania. At the end of December 1918, the new Lithuanian government, headed by Mykolas Slezheviches, issued an appeal calling for voluntarily joining the army to defend the homeland. Volunteers were promised to be given land. In parallel, Germany began to form volunteer units in the Baltics. Parts of the 1st German Volunteer Division arrived in Lithuania from Germany in January 1919. All German units, including volunteers, left Lithuania in July 1919.

On March 5, 1919, mobilization into the Lithuanian army was announced. Its number by the end of the summer reached eight thousand. Lithuanians had to fight against the Red Army, which invaded Lithuania from the east. On January 5, 1919, Soviet troops occupied Vilnius, and on January 15, Šiauliai. Lithuanian troops with the help of the German volunteer corps (10 thousand people) stopped the Red Army at Kedainaya. On February 10, the combined German-Lithuanian troops defeated the Soviets at Sheta near Kaunas and forced them to retreat. The Germans fought in Lithuania until the end of May 1919, as the German government was concerned about the advance of the Red Army to the borders of East Prussia. On April 19, Polish troops drove the troops of the Lithuanian-Belarusian Soviet Republic out of Vilnius. By the beginning of October 1919, the Lithuanian army ousted the Red Army from the territory of Lithuania. In July - December, the Lithuanians fought against the White Guard Western Russian Army of General Pavel Bermondt-Avalov, which also included German volunteer detachments, and inflicted a defeat on Radvilishkis in November, and on December 15 they ousted the Western Army from the territory of Lithuania.

On July 12, 1920, a peace treaty was signed between Lithuania and Soviet Russia, according to which Moscow recognized Lithuania's right to Vilnius. This city, occupied in June by the Red Army, after the defeat of the latter near Warsaw, was transferred to the control of the Lithuanian troops at the end of August. In September, fighting began between Polish and Lithuanian troops. On October 7, an armistice agreement was reached in Suwalki through the mediation of the Entente. However, the Lithuanian-Belarusian division of the Polish army under the command of General Lucian Zheligovsky, allegedly out of obedience to the Polish government, broke the resistance of the Lithuanian troops and on October 8 took Vilnius, which was annexed to Poland in 1923. The fighting between the Polish and Lithuanian troops was stopped at the end of November 1920.

The events of 1918-1920 in Lithuania are called the War of Independence, which actually breaks up into three wars: the Lithuanian-Soviet, Lithuanian-Polish and the war against the Western army. Since May 7, 1919, the commander-in-chief of the Lithuanian army was General Silvestras Zhukauskas (Sylvester Zhukovsky), a former major general of the Russian army (before being appointed commander-in-chief, he was the chief of the General Staff of the Lithuanian army). During the War of Independence, the Lithuanian army lost 1444 killed, over 2600 wounded and over 800 missing.

On the eve of the Great Patriotic War, almost all Lithuanian officers of the 29th Corps were arrested. With the outbreak of war, out of 16,000 Lithuanians who served in the corps, 14,000 either deserted or, having killed non-Lithuanian commanders and commissars, revolted against Soviet power.

The main enemy is determined

The Lithuanian army was recreated with the restoration of Lithuanian independence in March 1990 and the formation of the Department of National Defense and the first training unit of the armed forces. However, practical measures to create an army followed only after the actual collapse of the USSR in August 1991 and the recognition of the independence of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia by the allied authorities and the government of the Russian Federation in September. On October 10, 1991, the first Minister of Regional Protection, Audrius Butkevičius, who previously headed the Department of Regional Protection, was appointed. On December 30, 1991, the first Lithuanian military ranks were awarded.

On January 2, 1992, the Ministry of Regional Protection began its activities and the Lithuanian military aviation was recreated. At the same time, the first call for active military service was announced. On September 1, 1992, the School for the Protection of the Territory was opened in Vilnius. Lithuanian army officers are also trained in the US, Germany, Poland, other NATO countries and Sweden. On November 1, the flotilla of the Lithuanian Naval Forces was created.

On November 19, 1992, the Supreme Council - the Restorative Seimas proclaimed the re-establishment of the Army of the Republic of Lithuania. Continuing the traditions of the army of the interwar period, many battalions of the modern Lithuanian army were given the names of regiments of the 1920s and 1930s and their symbols. The divisions of the volunteer forces received the names of the partisan districts into which the Lithuanian partisans who fought against the Soviet regime in 1944-1957 were divided.

The Supreme Commander is the President of Lithuania. The operational management of the armed forces is carried out by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces - a professional military man, whose working body is the Joint Staff. The Ministry of Defense (Ministry of Defense of the Territory) carries out the financing and supply of the armed forces.

On March 29, 2004, Lithuania joined NATO. Its armed forces are integrated with the armed forces of other countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The military doctrine of Lithuania was adopted on March 10, 2010. It provides for the conduct of military and peacekeeping operations in cooperation with other NATO members and within the framework of missions undertaken by the North Atlantic Alliance. In the event of a situation of collective defense, the Lithuanian armed forces are transferred under the command of NATO. As the only threat to the security of Lithuania, the doctrine considers “unstable states whose documents related to defense and security policy provide for, and military force allows, military actions directed directly or indirectly against Lithuania or its allies.” This definition refers primarily to Russia, although no Lithuanian documents directly mention this and our country is not named. In the case of external aggression, it is assumed that "the independent defense of the country and its collective defense together with the allies."

On September 15, 2008, the conscription for urgent military service was cancelled. The last conscripts were transferred to the reserve on July 1, 2009. Since 2009, the recruitment of the armed forces has been carried out exclusively by contract volunteers.

There are 10,640 people in the Lithuanian Armed Forces, including 8,200 in the ground forces, 600 in the navy, 1,200 in aviation, 1,804 in headquarters and services common to all armed forces. 4,600 people are reservists of the ground forces who are in reserve, united in the Volunteer troops for the protection of the region. The male population aged 16 to 49 years, there were 890 thousand people in 2010, of which the number of fit for military service is estimated at 669 thousand. Every year, 20,425 men reach the age of 18, at which military service can begin.

Lithuania's military spending is 0.79 percent of GDP. In 2012, they can be valued at $343.65 million at the official exchange rate and at $511.9 billion at purchasing power parity. The lack of financial resources affects the level of equipment of the army with weapons and military equipment and the training of military personnel.

Ground troops

There are 8,200 people, including 3,600 professionals, and 4,600 active reservists from the Volunteer Guards of the Territory. Professionals are divided into one Iron Wolf Brigade (three mechanized infantry battalions and one artillery battalion), three separate motorized infantry battalions, one engineer battalion and one training center.

The ground forces are armed with 10 BRDM-2 armored vehicles supplied by Poland, about 200 American M113A1 and M113A2 armored personnel carriers and Swedish BV 206 A MT armored personnel carriers.

Artillery is represented by 72 105-mm M101 American howitzers provided by Denmark, and 61 120-mm M-43 mortars supplied by Poland.

Anti-tank weapons - 10 American FGM-148 Javelin ATGMs mounted on HMMWV wheeled all-terrain vehicles. There are also a number of FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank systems and 84-mm Swedish anti-tank grenade launchers Carl Gustav.

The air defense systems of the ground forces are represented by the American FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS, 10 of which are installed on MTLB armored personnel carriers, and eight on American M113 armored personnel carriers. There are also a number of "Stingers" in a portable version.

4,600 active reservists from the Volunteer Guards of the Territory are united in six regiments and 36 territorial defense battalions.

The special operations forces consist of one special operations group, which includes a special forces service (group), one jaeger battalion and a service (group) of combat divers.

Naval Forces

There are about 600 people. Together with the Latvian and Estonian navies, they form the Baltron Joint Force based in Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils, Tallinn and Klaipeda. The headquarters of the joint forces is located in Tallinn. The Lithuanian fleet consists of a battalion of patrol ships, a battalion of anti-mine ships and a battalion of auxiliary vessels.

The fleet has three Danish Standard Flex 300 patrol boats armed with one 76mm cannon and one Norwegian Storm patrol boat with Penguin anti-ship missiles, one 76mm and one 40mm Bofors cannon.

There are also two German minesweepers of the Lindau type (type 331), two British Skulvis minesweepers (of the Hunt type), one Norwegian minelayer of the Vidar type (also used as a control ship).

The Lithuanian Navy is focused primarily on combating the mine threat. There are four auxiliary port vessels of Soviet and Danish production.

Air Force

There are 980 military personnel and 190 civilian personnel. They consist of one air defense battalion. The Air Force is armed with three C-27J Spartan transport aircraft, two L-410 Turbolet transport aircraft and two L-39ZA combat training aircraft. All aircraft of Czechoslovak production. The helicopter fleet consists of nine Mi-8s. There are several Swedish-made RBS-70 MANPADS. Lithuanian pilots have a fairly decent flying time - 120 hours a year.

Commands serving the needs of all armed forces

The Joint Supply Command has 1,070 personnel. It consists of one supply battalion. The Joint Training and Documentation Command has 734 personnel, consists of one training regiment.

Paramilitaries of other departments

The Lithuanian Shooting Union is a public organization that prepares young people for military service. It has 9600 people.

The Border Guard of the Ministry of the Interior has 5,000 men. The Coast Guard Service - 540 people, has three Finnish and Swedish-made patrol boats and one British-made Griffon 2000 amphibian.

Lithuanian troops outside the country and foreign allied forces on the territory of Lithuania

There are 236 Lithuanian servicemen in Afghanistan as part of the international security force ISAF. In the zone of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, within the framework of the OSCE mission, there is one Lithuanian military observer. In Iraq, within the framework of the NATO mission, there are 12 Lithuanian servicemen.

As part of the NATO program to protect the airspace of the Baltic States, four F-16 fighters from Germany, Holland, Denmark and other NATO countries patrol Lithuanian airspace on a permanent basis. In the event of a sudden Russian invasion of Lithuania, other Baltic countries and Poland (although Russia is not directly named in the document, it is obvious that it is about her, and not about any aliens), NATO developed a defense plan in early 2010 Eagle Guardian (“Eagle-Defender”), which provides for the transfer to these countries during a threatened period or immediately after the start of aggression of nine divisions of the armies of the United States, Germany, Great Britain and Poland with appropriate air support to the territory of the Baltic states and Poland and sending alliance warships to ports of Poland, Germany and the Baltic countries.

In general, the Lithuanian army is not inferior to the armies of other Eastern European countries - NATO members in terms of combat capability, it has the ability to fully participate in the peacekeeping operations of the alliance and other international structures with its ground forces. At the same time, the Air Force and the Navy are unable to solve the tasks of protecting the Lithuanian territory, and in this respect, Lithuania relies entirely on the help of NATO allies. In the event of an attack by Russia, it is assumed that the Lithuanian army will be able to successfully defend itself for at least a week, before the arrival of reinforcements from other countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, but subject to the provision of air support from the first day of fighting. At the same time, the main hopes are for the Volunteer Guards of the Territory, ready for partisan actions in the event of enemy occupation.

After the restoration of its independence. The armed forces that existed in Lithuania in ~ - and - years. were called the Army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (lit. Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės kariuomenė), in - years. - Army of the Republic of the Polish Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (lit.), in - years. - Lithuanian Army (lit. Lietuvos kariuomenė, immediately before the liquidation, from July 7 to August 27, 1940, the Lithuanian Army was called the "Lithuanian People's Army" (lit. Lietuvos liaudies kariuomenė), after which it was reorganized into the 29th territorial rifle corps of the Red Army) .

Lenkijos Karūnos ir Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės Respublikos kariuomenė

As of the beginning of 1993, the total strength of the Lithuanian armed forces was 7 thousand people. .

In 1999, Lithuania joined the NATO peacekeeping operation in Kosovo, in early July 2009 the contingent was withdrawn. In total, over the course of ten years, about 900 military personnel were sent to the KFOR forces, most of them served in the Polish-Ukrainian battalion.

In 2000, the Lithuanian government decided to increase the number of armed forces from 11.5 thousand to 13 thousand military personnel.

In 2002, Lithuania began participating in the NATO military operation in Afghanistan. The loss of the Lithuanian contingent in Afghanistan is 1 soldier killed and at least 13 wounded. In addition, after an attack on a Lithuanian unit on May 22, 2008, during which 1 Lithuanian soldier was killed and 2 wounded, three more Lithuanian soldiers refused to continue their military service in Afghanistan and were sent back to Lithuania in June 2008.

In April 2003, Lithuania sent the first 14 military personnel to Iraq, later the number of the Lithuanian contingent was increased to 130 military personnel. In 2008, the Lithuanian contingent was withdrawn from Iraq. In addition, in February 2005, Lithuania began participating in the NATO Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I), which continued until December 2011. In total, 39 Lithuanian military participated in the NATO training mission, who trained the junior officers of the Iraqi armed forces and served in the NTM-I headquarters. In total, more than 900 Lithuanian soldiers served in Iraq.

In 2007, an agreement was signed in the city of Panevėžys on the creation by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania of an infantry battalion of the NATO Priority Engagement Forces ( NATO Response Force) .

On September 15, 2008, the conscription for urgent military service was cancelled. The last conscripts were transferred to the reserve on July 1, 2009; since 2009, the recruitment of the Lithuanian armed forces has been carried out exclusively on a professional basis.

Recall that the military call in Lithuania in 2015 was returned in connection with "possible aggression against Lithuania by Russia"

In November 2013, Lieutenant Colonel Arturas Jasinskas, a spokesman for the Lithuanian Army's Department of Strategic Communications, said that in the event of an attack, the Lithuanian army "is capable of waging an asymmetric war for a month and waiting for help from the allies."

Initially, the Lithuanian army was armed with weapons and military equipment of the Soviet Army units located on the territory of the Lithuanian SSR.

In 1993, Sweden began training the military personnel of the Lithuanian army, as of September 3, 2001, 82 officers and specialists were trained, and another 20 cadets continued their education.

In 1997-1998, the Lithuanian army received 100 vehicles as a gift from the Swiss Defense Ministry. The cars were produced no earlier than 1970 and were used for their intended purpose, but remained in good condition.

In 1999, 20 towed 120mm 2B11 mortars were received from Bulgaria.

Also, in 1999, 40 thousand M-14 rifles were received from the United States under the military assistance program; M14L1 .

In addition, in 1999, a decision was made to build a cartridge factory in the village of Viyukai near Kaunas. Production lines were purchased in France, from the company " Sofema". The plant cost Lithuania 220 million litas. In 2005 Lithuanian cartridges were certified by NATO. In 2011, the production capacity of the plant was about 20 million cartridges per year, the staff was 70 people.

In December 2001, a contract was signed with the American company Lockheed Martin for the supply of 18 Javelin anti-tank systems and 74 missiles for them in the amount of 9.65 million dollars.

At the beginning of 2002, an agreement was signed for the supply from the United States of the TPS-117 radar station, designed to create the BALTNET system. In September 2004, the first of three radar stations, TRML-3D, was put into operation.

In 2002, an agreement was signed for the supply of weapons and equipment from the United States for $ 31 million (8 Stinger surface-to-air launchers and 60 missiles for them, as well as radars for targeting Thales Raytheon Systems TPQ-64 Sentinel and 69 HMMWV vehicles). The first 15 Hummers were to enter service in 2005.

In 2002, 72 M101 towed 105 mm howitzers were received from Denmark.

In 2003, 69 HMMWV vehicles were purchased with funds provided by the United States under the military assistance program for a total value of 10.5 million dollars (about 27 million litas), the first 24 vehicles were delivered to Lithuania in early 2005.

March 30, 2004 began patrolling the airspace of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia by NATO fighters ( Operation Baltic Air Policing). As part of the operation, four tactical fighters (two pairs on duty) and a NATO aviation technical group (120 military personnel and civilian specialists) are permanently deployed at the Lithuanian Zokniai air base. The cost of the operation is $20 million per month.

In April 2004, an agreement was concluded with Norway, according to which, at the end of 2004, 20 RBS-70 portable anti-aircraft missile systems, 260 Mk.3 anti-aircraft missiles and 5 PS-70 Giraffe radar stations were received from Norway.

Also, in the period from 2001 to the end of February 2005, 200 M113 armored personnel carriers, previously in service with the Bundeswehr, were transferred to the Lithuanian army from Germany

In mid-December 2005, a contract was signed with the Finnish company Oy Sisu Auto AB for the purchase of a batch of 50 SISU E11T and SISU E13TP off-road army trucks equipped with armored cabs with bulletproof glass, bottom protection against mine explosions and a filter-ventilation unit. Three types of vehicles were supplied: container carriers with a carrying capacity of up to 20 tons, platform tractors for transporting equipment and technical assistance vehicles. The total value of the contract was 69 million litas (about 20 million euros). The first 26 trucks were handed over to the Lithuanian army in August 2007, deliveries were completed in July 2009.

In August 2011, 12 Toyota Land Cruiser 200 armored vehicles and spare parts for them were purchased from the Norwegian company Arctic Trucs Norge AS for 15 million litas (4.4 million euros).

In December 2011, the Lithuanian government signed a contract worth 31.77 million litas (12.9 million US dollars) for the purchase from Norway of a batch of 12.7 mm Browning M2 QCB heavy machine guns (worth 22.8 million litas). ) and cartridges for them (in the amount of 8.97 million litas) .

During 2011, the Lithuanian army received assistance from the United States in the amount of about 13.1 million litas; US military aid during 2012 was set at about 31.6 million litas (about $12.8 million). Among the range of deliveries are military and educational equipment, communications equipment, personal protective equipment, drones, optical instruments and night vision devices.

In the autumn of 2012, a contract was signed for the supply of equipment and military equipment from the Netherlands for the Lithuanian army in the amount of about 10 million litas. Among the range of deliveries are trucks with containers for communication and control, tankers, snowplows for cleaning runways, dump trucks.

In the period from 1994 to 2013, over 300 Lithuanian military personnel were trained in the military educational institutions of Germany

In 2013, the United States donated equipment and military equipment worth $8.6 million to the Lithuanian contingent in Afghanistan (unmanned aerial vehicles, communications equipment, night vision devices, ammunition, etc.)

After the withdrawal of the Lithuanian ISAF contingent from the military base of Gor in the province of Chagcharan in the summer of 2013, with the help of the United States, evacuation to Lithuania of 25 vehicles and other property worth several million litas, previously provided for use by the Lithuanian ISAF contingent under the military assistance program, began.

In 2013, six 105 mm M101 howitzers are expected to be delivered from Denmark to create a coastal defense battery.

In 2001, a press service was established within the Ministry of Defense - the Press and Information Support Service, which publishes three printed publications: the magazine "Karys" ("Warrior"), the newspaper "Savanoris" ("Volunteer") and the newsletter "Krašto apsauga " ("National security"). They are all available for download online in pdf format. In addition, the divisions have periodicals: every three months, with the support of the department, battalions publish their own newspapers, and a quarterly magazine is published at the military academy.

November 23, 1918. The flags of all three branches of the Lithuanian Armed Forces - land, air and sea - traditionally fly on the Cathedral Square.

Army of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia.

The construction of the Armed Forces has never attracted so much attention in 20 years of independence as in 2011. There is even more of it than at the dawn of its formation: in 1991, it was clear to everyone that their own army was needed, so it was built without attracting unnecessary noise. 20 years later, the priorities have not changed, and the taxpayers, in principle, do not oppose the "man with a gun." But the attitude towards professional defenders, towards the principles of formation and budget of the Armed Forces in the state has changed significantly.

No one in Lithuania dared to speak critically about the Ministry of Defense and its subordinate institutions. Perhaps that is why the careers of all the leaders of the Ministry of Defense developed extremely successfully in the future.

Engineer Linas Antanas Linkevicius, who worked as Minister of Defense in the "golden" years of 2000-2001 in the XI government and in 2001-2004 in the XII government, later became Lithuania's ambassador to NATO, and in 2011 - adviser to the prime minister on security issues. Microsurgeon Juozas Olekas, head of the Ministry of Defense in 2006-2008 in the XIV government - a long-term member of the Seimas.

In this sense, the current Minister of Defense of Lithuania, by the way, also a physician, Yuknyavicheva Race, was not lucky. A careerist by nature, she also counted on a qualitative leap up the corporate ladder. But she faced even more powerful ambitions of the president. The girls' war of "hairpins" broke out around the financing of the army. The Minister publicly began to say that the budget of the Ministry of Defense falls short of half of the 2% of GDP that other NATO members demand from their partners.

The allusion to Grybauskaite, who was inclined to save money in everything, and to her rather independent foreign policy, was more than transparent. However, the president arranged a cold shower not only for the Ministry of Defense, but for the whole of Lithuania. It turns out that the agreement on the notorious 2% is just verbal and is not spelled out in any NATO document. Speaking publicly, the president did not close the topic. One can even say that for the always restrained Lithuanian media, the command "Face!" sounded. Immediately there were publications about the dominance of generals and colonels - there is 1 officer for 3 privates and sergeants. On non-transparent purchases of equipment and uniforms. About exorbitant budgets of military missions, first of all - in the province of Ghor in Afghanistan.

It turned out that Lithuania, proud of the trust of NATO partners and taking care of the poor Afghans of the province of Ghor, spends money on equipping basketball courts, and even tried to plant an oak grove in the sands, the seedlings for which, plus their delivery to Afghanistan, cost taxpayers a pretty penny. Journalists in the bowels of the army, numbering 3.5 thousand people, found three brass bands - the orchestra of the Armed Forces, the orchestra of the Ground Forces and the orchestra of the Air Force. Then we found out that, it turns out, the military spends about 60% of the budget on salaries, without producing any surplus value. For the first time, the question is "do the military spend budget items correctly?" stood up...

It must be said that the tactically competent Rasa Yuknyavichene did not ask for trouble. She publicly promised to clear up all the ambiguities, invite an independent audit, and went into the shadows for a while. Therefore, at this stage, the score is 1:0 in favor of President Dalia Grybauskaite.

It should be noted that the army loves its Commander-in-Chief. Unlike the “cabinet” Valdas Adamkus or the “large-scale” Algirdas Brazauskas, who did not have enough time for small things, Grybauskaite often visits military camps and training grounds. She does not plug her ears while firing and does not fearfully shy away from the tracks of the transporters. On the contrary, with obvious pleasure, he shoots from all types of weapons, sits at the levers of military vehicles and goes out to sea on a frigate - on the flagship of the Lithuanian Navy: still the Soviet MPK "Albatross".

Let Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov not be offended by the parallel, but if he was the "father of the soldiers," then the President of Lithuania is the "mother of the soldiers." It was Grybauskaite who stopped the harmful discussion on the topic "how long is Lithuania able to resist the aggressor in the event of an attack?" The position of the president: only those who, for propaganda purposes, are trying to slander everything that has been done in terms of the country's defense for 20 years, can put the question this way. Lithuania's current strategic goals are to improve defense plans. And be ready to accept NATO assistance if needed. By the way, this element is practiced annually in command and staff exercises with the accented title "Mistress of the Baltic". In order to fully meet the challenges of the time, Lithuania has changed the legislation regulating mobilization plans and the creation of a mobilization reserve, as well as a number of other laws.

The best illustration of this training is the permanent NATO air police mission based at the Zuokniai airfield in the Siauliai region, the largest military airfield in Europe. LTL 120 million was invested in this project. But investments, for example, in surveillance and air control systems will continue for another 5 years. For the entire duration of the mission, there was 1 air crash: the French training "Mirage" collided in the air with a Lithuanian aircraft. True, that day turned black for the Lithuanian Air Force - they lost 50% of the entire aircraft fleet.

From the pilot, the ideologists of the Ministry of Defense immediately blinded the image of a hero who took the damaged apparatus to a deserted place. The image of a sergeant who died in Afghanistan is also heroically presented: the propaganda machine portrays him as a true military man who died on a combat post for the sake of the interests of the Motherland.

By the way, about the interests of the motherland. The military doctrine of Lithuania does not call anyone an enemy. It only says that there are challenges that, under certain circumstances, can give rise to aggression on the part of some states. Under "some" one should understand first of all Russia, secondly - Belarus. There is more and more official talk about the need to participate in various NATO military missions. In Lithuania, a special force of 900 people has been formed, which, on the principles of rotation, perform the duties of maintaining peace in "hot" spots. But the main purpose of the special forces is a reaction to local attempts to undermine the sovereignty of Lithuania, strengthening the protection of the border, the most important state facilities, providing assistance to the population in case of natural disasters and work to save people. To fight terrorists, there is an elite special unit "Aras". At the top of the pyramid of special forces is the mysterious battalion "Aitvaras" - "Serpent", about the tasks of which there is practically no open information. From indirect sources, we can conclude that "Aitvaras" is an elite of elites, designed to carry out special operations behind enemy lines in complete isolation from the forces and means of combat support. So to speak, the Lithuanian version of the Russian "Alpha" or the American special forces of the CIA.

"Aitvaras" pays much attention to special mountain training, although there are no mountains within a radius of a thousand kilometers from Vilnius, and the nearest ones are easily passable Carpathians. Some military analysts dare to conclude that the "serpents" are specially prepared for a war in the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iran, if one begins.

A separate line of work of the Ministry of Defense is to ensure the interests of Lithuania in the Baltic Sea. Especially for control over various works in the Baltic waters, Lithuania acquired three patrol ships from Denmark, and two minesweepers from Britain. True, due to the financial crisis, the settlement period has been postponed to 2013. But the ships have already been included in the Navy, the Lithuanian flag has been raised on them.

In general, the topic of armaments and rearmament occupies a separate line. The companies that supplied the military "second-hand" to the army at the dawn of independence, thoroughly profited from the needs of the armed forces. For example, they bought armored jeeps for almost a million each, while their residual value did not reach 100,000. Today, none of those jeeps are in service. Outdated uniforms and footwear were brought to Lithuania. The military, in order not to walk in rags, gladly bought Russian "camouflage" and paratroopers' boots, since there was a lot of this stuff in Lithuania in the corners after the withdrawal of the Russian army.

Over time, the situation changed and more and more modern weapons, equipment, and uniforms began to enter service. However, apart from equipment, nothing corresponds to the best world standards. That is why the army is forced to spend huge sums on rearmament. For example, despite the crisis, the military received G36 automatic rifles and Glock 17 pistols. However, the language somehow does not dare to call these timid steps a rearmament program.

The Lithuanian army does not have rocket and tank units and subunits, just as, however, there are no offensive weapons. Its basis is 3 motorized infantry brigades with small arms and light artillery weapons. There is an air defense division, the main task of which is air cover for the Ignalina nuclear power plant. The Navy is a flotilla of diverse forces, which is based on frigates, minesweepers and other ships of the 4th class. The pre-war pride of Lithuania - the Air Force - drags out a miserable existence. That is, even by European standards, the army is small.

However, it is experiencing serious problems with staffing. The refusal of compulsory military service, legalized in the summer of 2008 by the government of the Social Democrats, coupled with insufficient funding, significantly bled the units. A shortfall of 1,000 men has become commonplace for the Armed Forces.

The Ministry of Defense found a way out in the general preparation of the population for the defense of the country, as required by the Constitution: short-term training and retraining courses are organized, the structure of the permanent reserve has been changed.

The Lithuanian military also has a sore "Achilles heel". The fact is that NATO experts do not classify Lithuania, unlike Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Poland or the Czech Republic, as a country with a rich military history. Well, after the Battle of Grunwald, the Lithuanians failed to prove themselves in a single battle. And under Grunwald, the Lithuanian regiments behaved rather strangely.

The army did not put up any resistance to the USSR in 1940 and 1944, no matter how politicians try to glorify the image of individual fighters against the "Soviet occupation". The military behaved even worse in 1941-1944. Some deserted from the Red Army, some fled to the farms, some began to cooperate with the German administration and the occupation command. Not a very glorious history for those who fought alone in the so-called partisan underground in 1944-1953. It is still not clear who was more in the forests: romantic patriots or criminals and murderers.

Be that as it may, yesterday, today, military experts have calculated that in order for the army to progress, its budget should be equal to 2% of GDP and increase annually by at least 70 million litas. At the same time, it is necessary to implement programs that had to be abandoned due to the crisis. It is concluded that NATO's capabilities in the region have not weakened, and the reduction of the NATO budget is a temporary phenomenon. Against this background, Lithuania is obliged to use all resources to the maximum in order to complete the reorganization of the army and its command and control.

Portal for the student. Self-training

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