Germany’s 21st Rapid Reaction Brigade is redeployed to Lithuania for joint international exercises Grand Eagle-2/24.

The news was published on the website of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

“Just a few hours ago, the first soldiers and military equipment of the German 21st Rapid Reaction Brigade arrived in Lithuania, crossing the Polish-Lithuanian border,” the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The published photos show a large number of MAN HX58 military trucks with trailers, as well as Mercedes G-class SUVs.

In total, according to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, about 650 units of equipment are expected to arrive in the country over the next three weeks.

The military contingent, as well as their vehicles and equipment, are to be delivered via various logistics routes by sea and land by August 22 and deployed at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė.

The aim of the German 21st Armored Brigade during the international exercises Grand Eagle-2/24 will be to practice the rapid deployment of units to Lithuania to protect NATO’s eastern flank.

The exercise tests the speed and effectiveness of the German army’s redeployment and its interaction with the Lithuanian Armed Forces, which is critical to ensuring the country’s territorial integrity and maintaining high combat readiness.

The German contingent in Lithuania

However, this is not the only German brigade currently stationed in Lithuania. Since April of this year, the 45th Brigade of the German Armed Forces has been deployed to the country for permanent deployment.

The first group of German troops deployed in the spring sets up the brigade’s headquarters in Vilnius and is currently planning the redeployment of its main forces and preparing the infrastructure at the Rūdninkai training ground.

After the military infrastructure is created at the Rūdininkai training ground, the military territory of the Šalčininkai district will become the main location of the German brigade. Most of the soldiers of the German army brigade will serve at the Rūdininkai training ground, while the rest will serve in Rukla. The German soldiers and their families will live in Vilnius and Kaunas.

The main forces of the 45th Brigade will be deployed to Lithuania in stages: the first soldiers will arrive this year, and the main redeployment of units will take place in 2025-2026. In 2027, the German brigade should reach full combat capability.

It is expected that a total of 4,800 German soldiers and 200 civilians will be deployed to Lithuania for permanent residence. The brigade deployed in the country will be headed by Colonel Andre Hastenrath, who previously served in Lithuania.