Inauguration of the German 45th Armored Brigade “Lithuania”

On May 22nd at 2:00 PM in Cathedral Square, Vilnius, the inauguration of the German 45th Armored Brigade “Lithuania” will take place, followed by a concert by the German and Lithuanian military orchestras at 4:30 PM.

Next Thursday, the German brigade will officially present itself to the public in the heart of Vilnius. The brigade’s inauguration is a solemn military ritual marking the official beginning of a new military unit’s service.

During the ceremony in Cathedral Square, nearly a thousand German and Lithuanian soldiers will line up. The German brigade’s flag will be ceremoniously adorned with a ribbon symbolizing the unit’s mission in Lithuania.

GUTEN TAG, PANZERBRIGADE 45! Welcome to Lithuania!

The process of relocating the German brigade to Lithuania is proceeding smoothly according to the Action Plan signed in December 2023. On April 1 of this year, the German Army’s 45th Brigade reached full headquarters capacity. Currently, 500 German brigade soldiers are serving in Lithuania, and the full combat brigade strength — with 5,000 soldiers and civilians, along with all necessary equipment, gear, and supplies — will be achieved by 2027.

Infrastructure is being actively developed not only at the Rūdninkai training ground but also in other parts of Lithuania. Construction of the first stage of the Rūdninkai military town buildings has begun, along with installation of engineering networks and road paving. By the end of the year, contracts are planned to be signed for the design of the second stage of the Rūdninkai military town. Besides military infrastructure, civilian services are also expanding, including German-language schools and kindergartens in Vilnius and Kaunas.