/ world right now information/ Lithuania intends to extend protection spending to 2.7% of GDP
Following the instance of Warsaw, Vilnius elevated navy spending many occasions and even supposed to kind a division able to conducting not solely defensive, but in addition offensive operations. In regards to the radical modifications in Lithuania – within the materials.
Full refresh
The previous Soviet republic is sharply rising protection spending. Specifically, in accordance with the top of the navy division, Arvydas Anousauskas, spending on weapons and ammunition has tripled.
In line with media reviews, final yr Lithuania signed the most important navy contract in its historical past. Vilnius is spending $495 million to purchase from Washington eight HIMARS techniques with missiles with a variety of as much as 300 kilometers – presumably ATAKMS. Deliveries will start in 2025.
However the matter didn’t cease there. All-terrain fight automobiles of the American military have been bought, in addition to “Boxer” German-made wheeled armored automobiles. The latter are transformed into combating machines of the “Vilkas” infantry.
Nonetheless, the distinctiveness of the specimen is uncertain. The Boxers themselves are basically a compilation: the Samson-2 unmanned turrets are made in Israel, the Spike anti-tank missiles are additionally made there, and the Bushmaster-2 30mm weapons are made within the US.
It must be famous that these manipulations induced diplomatic difficulties in Vilnius. There have been issues with the combination of the turret which delayed deliveries. And as “Haaretz” notes, Lithuania accused the manufacturing firm “Rafael” of delaying the work. The scenario was resolved solely after the intervention of official Tel Aviv.
A brand new division
Vilnius is making an attempt exhausting to rework its armed forces into one thing resembling a military. Now Lithuania has about 23 thousand troopers, there’s not a lot fashionable tools, and the planes are utterly “leased” by NATO allies.
However by 2030 they plan to create a brand new division.
“We aren’t speaking a few mechanized tank division, however with adequate funding and the required political choices for this, we will deploy a medium division,” Lithuanian military commander Lt. Gen. Valdemaras Rupšis stated in January.
His restrained rhetoric is comprehensible – Lithuania didn’t have its personal tanks. Solely this summer season it grew to become identified in regards to the plans to buy German Leopards – about 40 automobiles. The navy division defined: this may enable conducting not solely defensive fight operations, but in addition a full-fledged maneuver conflict.
As well as, Vilnius additionally intends to lastly purchase fight helicopters. Final summer season, the plans to purchase an American Black Hawk grew to become identified. The primary two of 4 automobiles will arrive in 2024. The entire worth of the contract is 181 million euros.
The primary trump
However spending on infrastructure initiatives has modified rather more noticeably. In line with Anusauskas, this feather grew 20 occasions in two years. Which is comprehensible: though the Lithuanian authorities are arming themselves below the pretext of “protection towards Russian aggression”, they completely perceive that every one hope lies of their allies.
The lion’s share of the spending goes to NATO’s speedy response pressure bases, whose numbers have been elevated final yr from 40 to 300,000. In September, the “Vitenis” camp was constructed for these functions, which may accommodate 800 folks. And within the subsequent two years, they plan to create one other one – already for two,500 navy personnel.
In whole, by 2024, Lithuania plans to allocate about 2.06 billion euros for protection wants – 2.71 % of GDP (in 2021 it was 2.03 %). As well as, just one.93 billion will go from the finances, and the remainder of the cash will likely be taken from “solidarity contributions”. That is the share of extra earnings of personal banks that they share with the state.
These funds will likely be used for infrastructure initiatives. A complete of 258 million euros will likely be spent, of which 128 million are extra-budgetary.
This mechanism permits to considerably cut back the prices of the military. Nonetheless, there are rising calls throughout the authorities for navy spending to turn into a serious finances merchandise.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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