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TheLithuanian Armed Forces (Lithuanian:Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajėgos) are themilitary ofLithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of theLithuanian Land Forces, theLithuanian Navy, theLithuanian Air Force and theLithuanian Special Operations Force. In wartime, theLithuanian State Border Guard Service (which is under the supervision of theMinistry 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'sNational 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. TheMinistry of National Defence is responsible for combat forces,search and rescue, and intelligence operations.[4]
Maleconscription is in place since 2015, when it was reinstated after being ended in 2008, due to concerns about thegeopolitical environment in light of theRusso-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]
The Lithuanian military originates in theGrand Ducal Lithuanian Army, active from the 13th century to 1795.[7] After theUnion of Lublin in 1569, the Lithuanian Army remained equal to the PolishCrown army in themilitary of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until theThird Partition in 1795. The Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army fought in many major battles, such as theBattle of Blue Waters (1362/63),Battle of Grunwald (1410),Battle of Orsha (1514) andBattle of Kircholm (1605).
Similarly to othermedieval European states, the army wasraised by the nobility during the Late Middle Ages. By the 17th century, it was mostly outclassed by professional forces and astanding army was instituted.
From the 12th century's end and into the 13th century, Lithuania frequently went to war against the western and southwesternRus' states,Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia andDuchy of Masovia, and also devastated the lands along theDaugava and elsewhere.[7] From the early 1200s, Lithuanians fought against theSwordbrothers, then from 1237 against theLivonian Order, and from the second half of the 13th century's against the State of the Teutonic Order.[7] Fighting on Lithuania's northern and western frontiers was unceasing, the Lithuanian state expanded southwards and eastwards in theLate Middle Ages.[7] The Lithuanian army was mobile, as it had to fight on many fronts: theState of the Teutonic Order to the west, the Livonian Order to the north, theGolden Horde and its vassalMuscovy to the east, and theTatar 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 ofSaule (1236),Durbe (1260),Karuse (1270) and theAizkraukle (1279).[7] However they were less successful against enemy fortifications, especially brick castles.[7] Eventually the front lines stabilised over time, and the one against the Livonian Order more or less followed the modernLatvia–Lithuania border, while the one against the Teutonic Order was close to theNemunas.[7][9] A castle system fortified the Lithuanian side of the border along the river.[7]
Over the 14th century, the Teutonic and Livonian orders organised raids into Lithuania.[7] Lithuanians reciprocated by raiding their respective territories, but the Lithuanian raids were fewer in number.[7] The Lithuanians won theBattle of Medininkai (1320), but lost theBattle of Strėva (1348).[7] More and more, the Teutonic Order destroyed the Lithuanian castle system along the Nemunas and built their own castles near the Lithuanian ones.[7] As the German and Livonian orders were constantly reinforced by Christian European countries, it became increasingly difficult to defend Lithuania solely by military means.[7] A new generation of the Lithuanian Grand Dukes,Jogaila andVytautas the Great, used not only military, but also diplomatic and political means, for exampleLithuanian baptism in 1387, to protect Lithuania.[7]
Meanwhile, on the other side of Lithuania, the Golden Horde's army was destroyed in theBattle of Blue Waters (1362–1363).[7] In 1368, 1370, and 1372, the Lithuanian Grand DukeAlgirdas led the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army on military expeditions against Muscovy.[7] However, theBattle of the Vorksla River (1399) was a decisive victory for the Golden Horde.[7]
Finally, the German Teutonic Order was crushed in theBattle of Grunwald (1410) (known as Battle of Žalgiris in Lithuanian historiography), which was the largest Middle Age battle inCentral 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 ofPskov, in 1426, andNovgorod, 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 inbiological warfare already in 1422, when it catapulted manure made from infected victims into an opposingBohemian town as part of theHussite Wars.[10] In 1435,Sigismund Kęstutaitis' army defeated the opposing army, which included troops of theLivonian Order, led byŠvitrigaila in theBattle of Wiłkomierz.[7]
This century was marked by war of Lithuania against Muscovy and theCrimean Khanate, against whom they won theBattle of Kletsk in 1506.[7] The strengthening Grand Duchy of Moscow starting in the late 15th century wagedunceasing wars over Lithuania's eastern territories.[7] In 1514, during the fourth war, the Lithuanians triumphed over the numerically larger Muscovite army in the famousBattle of Orsha.[7] However, Lithuania lost a part of its eastern lands, most notably the strategically important fortress ofSmolensk.[7] The Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army fought against Muscovy in theLivonian War and won against the Muscovite army, twice its size in theBattle of Ula in 1564.[7] Three years into the Livonian War, theTreaty of Vilnius.[9] made Livonia part of Lithuania in 1561 with theUnion of Lublin concluded in 1569.[9] In the late 1570s and early 1580s, the Lithuanian and Polish armies cooperated in Stephen Báthory'sincursions into Russia.[7]
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The 17th century was marked by wars against Sweden, theTsardom of Muscovy and theOttoman Empire.[7] The Lithuanian army and the Polish army fought against the Ottoman forces notably at both Battles of Khotyn in1621 and1673.[7] During thewar with Sweden from 1600 to 1629, the Lithuanian army defeated Swedish forces three times their number at theBattle 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 ofSwedish Livonia.[7] In the first half of the 17th century, Smolensk returned to Lithuania following theSmolensk War.[7]
The Commonwealth's military weakness in the middle and late 17th century was evidenced in theDeluge.[7] In 1655, the much-smaller Lithuanian army could not defend the Lithuanian capital ofVilnius 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 forSmolensk Voivodeship and other parts.[7] Militarily speaking, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was weakening however.[7]
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During theGreat Northern War the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army no longer defended the country and theLithuanian magnates' private armies supported different sides.[7] Throughout the 18th century, manyconfederations in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth sought different political goals.[7] TheBar Confederation (1768–1772), which happened partly in Lithuania, attempted but failed to stem the increasing influence of Imperial Russia and theFirst partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth followed.[7] In the face of the possible loss of independence, military reforms in theFour Years' Sejm (1788–1792) significantly expanded the Lithuanian army, which reached a strength of 17,500.[7][9] Attempts to make the Commonwealth's armies equal those of neighbouringabsolute monarchies were unsuccessful and the unsuccessfulWar of 1792 resulted in theSecond Partition.[7]
The Polish and Lithuanian armies put up a spirited fight against theImperial Russian Army and thePrussian Army in theKościuszko Uprising.[7] In addition to regular forces, manyad hoc units such as theVilnian National Guard also fought, as well as many irregular units.[7] In the end, the Uprising was defeated and much of the remainder of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army was lost in theBattle of Praga on 4 November 1794.[7] With the uprising defeated, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and theKingdom of Poland ended with theThird Partition, and their respective armies being disbanded.[7]
| 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'srestoration on 16 February 1918, the country immediately began creating an army.[19] The Ministry of Defence's first order, issued on 23 November 1918, is considered to mark the establishment of the modern Lithuanian Armed Forces.[20] The newly-formed army almost immediately foughtthree wars of independence. Having won theLithuanian–Soviet War and thewar against the Bermontians, Lithuania lost large chunks of territory, including its capitalVilnius in thePolish–Lithuanian War. Armoured equipment in theinterwar period,primarily consisted oflight tanks andarmored cars: FrenchRenault FT-17s, BritishVickers Carden-Loyd M1934s and M1936s, SwedishLandsverk-181, and GermanEhrhardt E-V/4.[19] In 1935, the country opened an advancedmilitary research laboratory, specialising in chemical materials for ammunition as well as defence againstchemical warfare.[21] The construction of the laboratory was supervised byJuozas Vėbra. In 1940, Lithuania had aconsiderable Air Force, consisting of 118 aircraft with about half of them designed and produced locally. During theWorld War II, Lithuania was invaded byboth Nazis and Soviets, which eventually concluded inSoviet occupation. The Lithuanian Armed Forces transformed into theLithuanian People's Army in 1940 under thePeople's Government of Lithuania.[22] DespiteSoviet deportations from Lithuania,armed Lithuanian resistance lasted until the 1950s.
Following therestoration of independence, the defence forces were formally reestablished on 25 April 1990 with the creation of the Department of National Defence. After theJanuary Events, theVoluntary National Defence Service was formed of lightly armed volunteers. The Lithuanian Armed Forces were officially restored on 19 November 1992.[20]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-madeFGM-148 Javelin systems in 2001 and theFIM-92 Stinger systems in 2002.[23]
Lithuania applied forNATO membership in 1994 and eventuallyjoined the alliance in 2004. It has modernised its armed forces and participated in various international missions including theNATO-led mission in Afghanistan.Conscription ended in September 2008, but was reintroduced in 2015 due to deterioratinggeopolitical environment after theRussia's military intervention in Ukraine.[24][25] NATO also responded by establishing theNATO Enhanced Forward Presence in 2017 with a battlegroup in Lithuania which was led by Germany.[26]
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After the 2022Russian 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, includingM142 HIMARS with theATACMStactical ballistic missiles, additionalNASAMS medium-range air defence systems and artillery ammunition.[28] In 2023, Lithuanian leadership approved the plans to form an armydivision, based on the three army brigades.[29] As part of the plan, the country also decided to acquireLeopard 2 tanks.[30] In 2023, Germany agreed to deploy abrigade in Lithuania on a permanent basis.[31] TheBundeswehr's45th Panzer Brigade, consisting of ~5,000 troops, is scheduled to be deployed by 2027.[32] On 28 January 2025, the1st Division was re-created.
ThePresident of Lithuania is thecommander-in-chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces according to theConstitution 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]
The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Force, Lithuanian Air Force, Lithuanian Navy, Lithuanian Special Operations Force and other units:[35][36]
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Support branches of the Armed Forces:
Training and Doctrine Command;
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Cyber Defence Command;
Logistics Command;
Military Ordinariate;
Military Police.Separate units directly subordinated to the Armed Forces Command:
Finance and Accounting Department;
Grand Duke Gediminas Staff Battalion;.svg)
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Lithuanian Armed Forces Sports Club (CISM delegation);
Department of Strategic Communications;
Administration of Lithuanian Military Aviation.Directly subordinated to theChief of Defence are theSpecial Operations Force and Military Police. The Reserve Forces are under command of theLithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces.Lithuanian Riflemen's Union is aparamilitary organization that cooperates with the Armed Forces, but it is not part of them. However, during thestate of war, its armed formations fall under the command of the Armed Forces. The same applies to theState Border Guard Service and thePublic Security Service.[37]
The core of the Lithuanian Land Forces structure is theMechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf (MIB "Iron Wolf") consisting of fourmechanized infantry battalions and anartillery battalion, supported by theŽemaitijaMotorized infantry Brigade, which has three battalions and one artillery battalion as well. The third,AukštaitijaLight Infantry Brigade, is a reserve formation with active training. Its command, signal and logistic units are manned by professional soldiers.
TheVolunteer Forces form another brigade-size force, consisting of six territorial units. Other auxiliary units includeJuozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion andJuozas Lukša Land Forces Training Center.
The Lithuanian Land forces use equipment compatible with NATO standards. Since 2007, the standard assault rifle is the GermanHeckler & Koch G36. Units are supplied with modern variants of anti-tank weapons (M72 LAW,Carl Gustaf,AT4,FGM-148 Javelin) as well asman-portable air-defense systems (PZR Grom,RBS-70,FIM-92 Stinger). Modern armoured equipment includes:Oshkosh L-ATVarmoured cars,Boxerinfantry fighting vehicles (local designation IVF "Vilkas") armed withSpike-LR anti-tank missiles andPzH 2000self-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 armydivision, based on the three army brigades.[29] The1st Division would have enhanced capabilities, including new tank, reconnaissance, engineering and artillery battalions.[29]
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 20An-2 aircraft from civilian to military use, with initial basing at theBarysiai Airport on 27 April 1992. These were joined by fourL-39C Albatros aircraft to be used by the 1st fighter (training) squadron. These were in addition toMil Mi-8 helicopters and a short-range transport aircraftL-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 threeC-27J Spartan transporters in 2006. In 2013, threeEurocopter AS365 Dauphin helicopters were acquired from France and, in 2020, Lithuania announced an order or fourSikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the USA. Simultaneously, new medium-range and long-range radars were acquired for theAirspace Surveillance and Control Command.
Air space is patrolled by jet fighters from otherNATO members and they are based inZokniai Air Base, near the city ofŠiauliai (seeBaltic Air Policing). Theexternal border of the European Union (withKaliningrad andBelarus) is patrolled by the Aviation Unit of the LithuanianState Border Guard Service which, since the 2000s, uses helicoptersEC-120,EC-135 andEC-145.
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.[39] The currentCommander in Chief of the Lithuanian Navy is Flotilla Admiral Giedrius Premeneckas.
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The Naval base and Headquarters are located in the city ofKlaipėda.[40] The Navy uses patrol ships for coastal surveillance. The four newly acquiredFlyvefisken-class patrol vessels replaced the olderStorm-class patrol boats andGrisha-class corvettes.
From 1 August 2022, in order to eliminate thecoastal and port defense gap and perform other functions assigned to themarines, the Naval Forces Port and Coastal Defense Service was established and partially formed by merging theExplosive 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 marinefusiliers (marine infantry), and the service itself is unofficially called the Fusilier Battalion.[41]
In April 2025, the Navy announced that the marine unit would be officially renamed the General Kazimieras Nestoras Sapiega Fusiliers Battalion and would continue the traditions of the 7th Fusiliers Regiment.[42]
The Lithuanian Special Operations Forces of Lithuanian Armed Forces have been in operationde facto since 2002 and it were establishedde jure on 3 April 2008, when amendments of National Defence System organisation and military service law came into force.[43]
The Special Operations Forces are responsible forspecial reconnaissance,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 whenlaw enforcement agencies lack or do not have the necessary capabilities to react to terrorist attacks.[44]
The Special Operations Forces Squadron "Aitvaras" was deployed toAfghanistan forOperation Enduring Freedom. From 2005 to 2006 its squadrons were on standby as part of theNATO Response Force.[44]
Lithuania has been a member ofNATOmilitary alliance since 2004. In theEuropean Union, Lithuanian Armed Forces have also taken part in theNordic Battle Group since 2008. Lithuanian Armed Forces also participate in theJoint Expeditionary Force formed in 2014.
In 2009, to encourage regional cooperation, Lithuania joined the initiative to form theLithuanian–Polish–Ukrainian Brigade.
Soon after the restoration of independence, Lithuaniaapplied for NATO membership in January 1994. Together with another six Central and Eastern European countries, Lithuania was invited to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the2002 Prague summit and became a member of the Alliance in March 2004. Lithuania enteredNATO on full-fledged rights immediately after the procedures of joining theNorth Atlantic Treaty were completed and acquired rights to participate in the political decision-making process of the Alliance. Integration into the military structures of NATO became a long-term task of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.Mechanised Infantry Brigade "Iron Wolf" was affiliated to theDanish Division based on agreements signed byDenmark and Lithuania in August 2006. Lithuanian Armed Forces started to boost the Brigade's ability to cooperate with the forces of other NATO members.
Baltic Air Policing was established by NATO allies since Lithuania and the otherBaltic states do not have capabilities to secure their airspace. Fighter jets of NATO members are permanently deployed inZokniai airport near the cityŠiauliai to provide cover for theBaltic states airspace.[45] In 2013, NATO Energy SecurityCentre of Excellence was established inVilnius.
Following the2016 Warsaw summit,NATO Enhanced Forward Presence was deployed in the Baltic States with the multinational battalion battle group in Lithuania beingled by Germany.
Lithuania also cooperates with the two other Baltic states –Latvia andEstonia in several trilateral Baltic defence co-operation initiatives:
In January 2011, the Baltic states were invited to joinNordic Defence Cooperation, the defence framework of theNordic countries.[47] In November 2012, the three countries agreed to create a joint military staff in 2013.[48] 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 theNATO rapid-response force.[49]
Lithuanian soldiers have taken part in international operations since 1993. From the summer of 2005 until 2014,Lithuania has been part of theInternational Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF), leading aProvincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the town ofChaghcharan in the province ofGhor. The PRT included personnel fromDenmark,Iceland and the US. There have also been special operation forces units in Afghanistan. They were placed inKandahar province.
Since joining international operations in 1993, Lithuania has lost two soldiers. 1st Lt. Normundas Valteris fell inBosnia (17 April 1996), Sgt. Arūnas Jarmalavičius in Afghanistan (22 May 2008).[50]
| 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 |
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After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania has sought to develop its military industrial base. Lithuania has made a contract with the companyRheinmetall about establishing an artillery ammunition and artillery charge (gunpowder) production plant in Lithuania.[51]
Lithuania portala.^ 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 andMilitary Police (2,600).[52]
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]
As ofthis edit, this article uses content from"Lithuanian Armed Forces", authored by Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania, which is licensed in a way that permits reuse under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, but not under theGFDL. All relevant terms must be followed.
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