Three military facilities in Lithuania’s northern town of Šiauliai, as well as Vilnius and Šilalė Districts, are being built faster than planned, according to Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas. He told reporters this week that the construction of three military sites for 2,500 troops and civilians will be completeed more quickly than planned, and they will be handed over by the end of this year. The one at Šiauliai will be ready early next year. At this time, the plan is to use the facilities to accommodate Lithuanian troops.
Overall, the volume of new military infrastructure being built in the country is constantly growing, Anušauskas pointed out, saying that it reflects the geopolitoical and political realities that have emerged, requiring Lithuania “to strengthen our own capabilities and, of course, to create conditions to receive allies”. The first major attempt was the establishment of Camp Herkus in Pabradė for 600 troops. With the increased number of US troops, the expansion of that camp was completed in February. Two field camps in Marijampolė and Kazlų Rūda, with a capacity of 800 troops each, will be set up within a year, Anušauskas added.
Discussions are also underway with Germany on additional infrastructure across Lithuania for the storage of ammunition. Spending on ammunition “has risen to 17 percent of total defence budget” over the last two years, the defence minister pointed out. “But ammunition needs proper storage conditions. If you buy ammunition and store it outdoors, it will have a significantly shorter shelf life. Therefore, the number of depots will be increased with dozens more storage facilities being built. This infrastructure is planned to be in place by 2025.
