Lithuania to increase its armed forces by 25 percent
On Wednesday, Lithuanian government approved a draft bill of the Lithuanian National Defense Ministry to increase the number of country's armed forces by 25% in the next five years, reports Lithuanian news outlet Delfi.
According to the new structure of the armed forces of Lithuania, which should be adopted by 2024, the total number of soldiers in the Lithuanian Army should be increased from 21,290 to 26,850 people. The total number of contract military should be increased from 11,400 to 15,600 soldiers. According to the latest data of the Lithuanian Defense Ministry, the current number of contract soldiers who serve in the Lithuanian Army is 10,618 people.
Simultaneously with the increase in the total number of military personnel, it is proposed to increase the number of generals and senior officers, as well as reservists which are called up annually for exercises.
The new draft law also specifies that in 2024, a logistics battalion will be formed, which will be part of the Zemaitija brigade, which currently has three infantry and one artillery battalions.