Two US Army battalions are due to deploy to Lithuania in late October as part of a regular troop rotation, including a heavy unit equipped with Abrams tanks and an engineering battalion, according to Lithuanian officials.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said preparations and logistical arrangements for the deployment were under way, with around 1,000 US personnel expected to arrive. The troops are due to remain in Lithuania for nine months, maintaining a US presence broadly similar in size to previous rotations.
Kaunas said: “The preparation process and logistical arrangements are currently underway, and two battalions will arrive in Lithuania at the end of October.”
One of the formations will be a heavy battalion equipped with Abrams main battle tanks and other heavy weaponry. The second will be an engineering battalion, which Lithuania says will support work connected with the development of its military division, border protection and other defence projects.
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence confirmed the deployment, saying: “US troops are returning to Lithuania. A US heavy battalion with Abrams tanks and an engineer battalion will deploy to Lithuania.”
Kaunas discussed the rotation during a visit to the Pentagon, where he met US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Elbridge Colby. The Lithuanian minister also raised the possibility of establishing a permanent US military base in Lithuania, although he said no decision had been taken.
American forces have operated in Lithuania through successive rotational deployments, with the forthcoming nine-month rotation continuing that model rather than representing a newly announced permanent stationing arrangement.
The Lithuanian defence ministry said the presence of the two battalions would contribute to the country’s defence and NATO forces on the Alliance’s eastern flank.
