Lithuania brigade could massively weaken the Bundeswehr
"From A for artillery guns to Z for tents" - according to army inspector Mais, the Bundeswehr's equipment is inadequate. At the same time, a combat-ready brigade is to be stationed in Lithuania as soon as possible. Mais warns of the consequences for the army.
According to "Spiegel", there are massive doubts in the Bundeswehr about the implementation of Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' plans for the permanent stationing of a combat brigade in Lithuania. As the magazine reported from an internal email, Army Inspector Alfons Mais believes that the new brigade cannot be implemented without billions in investment, as otherwise the Bundeswehr would be massively weakened in its tasks in this country.
According to the report, Mais addresses Inspector General Carsten Breuer in the letter and demands that the ministry urgently consider investing in the project despite the fact that planning for the brigade has only just begun. He cites the army's precarious situation as the reason for this. "Unfortunately, I cannot help but emphasize once again that the material equipment of the army is currently more than borderline compared to its orders from 2025 and will continue to be underfunded in the future despite all positive efforts," Mais wrote. "The ceiling is simply too thin."
Specifically, the army is only 60 percent equipped across all material categories, "from A for artillery guns to Z for tents", the magazine quoted from the letter. "The formation of a new large unit without additional investment will reduce this rate to 55 percent."
The army inspector also alludes to the fact that the material equipment of the new brigade for Lithuania has not yet been included in the ministry's cost calculations for the coming years. In his view, "a clear management decision and prioritization of resources" is required here. According to the report, Mais called for the costs for the brigade to be "fully reflected in the budget".
Composed of existing units
Defense Minister Pistorius signed the roadmap for the establishment of the Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania last week. The unit in the NATO country is to comprise 4,800 soldiers and 200 civilian employees and will be fully operational in 2027. A preliminary command is due to start work in Lithuania next year.
The brigade will be made up of existing units. Tank Battalion 203 from Augustdorf and Panzergrenadier Battalion 122 from Oberviechtach are to be deployed to Lithuania by 2027. The multinational NATO battalion in Lithuania is to be added as a third combat group battalion; it is already deployed there under German command with rotating personnel.
As "Der Spiegel" further reported, the army has been emphasizing for some time that the project is not yet complete with the three battalions. Further support units such as armored engineer companies are needed, for whose material no budget funds have yet been provided.
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Boris Pistorius, the Defense Minister, is facing significant challenges in implementing his plan to permanently station a combat brigade in Lithuania, as Army Inspector Alfons Mais raises concerns about the Bundeswehr's inadequate equipment and the potential for massive weakening of the federal armed forces if billions in investment are not made. The new brigade will be composed of existing units, such as Tank Battalion 203 and Panzergrenadier Battalion 122, and will require further support units such as armored engineer companies, for which no budget funds have been allocated yet.
Source: www.ntv.de
