Lithuanian Land Force

Lithuanian Land Force Lietuvos sausumos pajėgos
Insignia of Land Forces Command
Active	1918 - 1940 1990 - present
Country	Lithuania
Branch	Army
Type	Land force
Role	Defend territory of Lithuania and act as an integral part of NATO forces
Size	3500 regulars 4700 volunteers
Part of	Lithuanian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Vilnius
Motto	"Strength in the unity, victory in the trust!"
Equipment	Lithuanian army equipment
Website	Official site
Commanders
Current commander	Major General Almantas Leika
Chief of Staff	Colonel Dalius Polekauskas
Chief Warrant	Sergeant Major Osvaldas Žurauskas
Insignia
Flag of Lithuanian Land Force
Flag of Land Forces Command

Structure of the Lithuanian Land Forces

The Lithuanian Land Forces (LLF) form the backbone of the country's defence force, capable of acting as an integral part of NATO forces. Lithuanian Land Forces consist of one brigade, the Engineer Battalion, and the National Defence Volunteers.

Structure

The main element of the Land Forces is a single mechanised infantry brigade, the Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade. This is formed around three mechanized infantry battalions and an artillery battalion, all named after Lithuanian grand dukes as the tradition of the Lithuanian Armed Forces goes.

In addition to the formed infantry brigade, the Land Forces maintain three additional motorised infantry battalions; one of these is tasked to support operations both domestically and overseas; one is tasked primarily with the defence of territorial Lithuania, and the third is primarily a training unit

Juozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion is responsible for mine clearance, the construction of pontoon bridges, unexploded ordnance detonation tasks, underwater engineering, and participation in search and rescue operations. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Platoon is ready to participate in international operations. Starting in 2008, the Lithuanian Armed Forces launched a 10-year-long project continuing mine cleaning on Lithuanian territory of explosives left after the First and Second World War, and in former Soviet military bases.

As an integral part of the Land Forces, the National Defence Volunteers have been developing since the beginning of the national movement for independence. The volunteers act smoothly together with the Allies during military operations and have been assigned new missions: to augment the regular forces, to deploy individual units and specific capabilities for international operations, to assist host nation support and to support the civilian authorities.

Units

Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade:

Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanised Infantry Battalion

Grand Duke Kęstutis Mechanised Infantry Battalion

Duke Vaidotas Mechanised Infantry Battalion

General Romualdas Giedraitis artillery battalion

Grand Duchess Birutė Uhlan Battalion

King Mindaugas Hussar Battalion

Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoon Battalion

Juozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion

Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces

Equipment

Lithuanian soldiers

In reforming the Armed Forces, most of the available attention and financial resources have been directed to the development of the Land Forces. To bring them up to NATO standards, current efforts focus on upgrading equipment and armaments, enhancing their operational effectiveness, and combat training. The standard service assault rifle of the Lithuanian Armed Forces is the Heckler & Koch G36 and the standard pistol is the Glock 17. The Lithuanian Land Forces are also equipped with machine guns, including the GPMG MG-3, the FN MAG, and the 12.7mm (.50 cal.) M2 Browning machine gun. They also employ the AT-4 and Carl Gustav anti-tank grenade launchers, HK GMG high-velocity grenade launchers, and low-velocity AG-36 under-the-barrel grenade launchers, in addition to light and heavy mortars and M101 howitzers. The army also uses high-technology Lithuanian-made tactical automated commanding and controlling informational systems (TAVVIS).

Military vehicles

Name	Image	Origin	Type	Variants	Quantity	Notes
Armoured personnel carriers
M113		United States  Germany	Armoured personnel carrier	M113A1 M113A2	210 (as of 2008)[1]	154 - M113A1 and 200 - M113A2 items transferred from Germany between 2000 and 2006, some of them - non-operational (used as source for spare parts only); 8 fitted for Logistic battalion (equipped with cranes), other modification - infantry, medical and command.[2][3] There were 361 M113s in service as of 2006.[1]
MT-LB		Soviet Union  Poland	Amphibious armoured personnel carrier	MT-LB	10 (as of 2008)[1]	10 MT-LB vehicles were transferred from Poland in 2000.[4]
Armoured cars
HMMWV		United States	Armoured car	M1025 M1097 M1114 M1151	200	Some equipped with HK GMG, 50.cal. .
Land Rover Defender		United Kingdom	Armoured car	88 90 110		Some equipped with HK GMG 50.cal, RBS 70.
Toyota Land Cruiser		Japan	Armoured car		12	Bought for international missions, has protection from small arms and IED's.
Support vehicles
Sisu E13TP		Finland	8×8 High mobility tactical vehicle	SISU PLS SISU RECOVERY	50
Bv 206		Sweden	Amphibious tracked vehicle	Bv 206A Bv 206F
Chevrolet CUCV I		United States	Pickup truck	M1008		Troop and cargo transport
Mercedes-Benz Unimog 437		Germany	Truck	U5000 U1550
Star		Poland	Truck	Star 266		Some number were donated by Poland
GAZ		Soviet Union	Truck	GAZ 66
Volvo		Sweden	SUV4x4	C303
Volvo		Sweden	SUV6x6	C304
Volvo		Sweden	SUV6x6	C306

Artillery

Name	Image	Origin	Type	Variants	Quantity	Notes
Self-propelled artillery
M1064		United States	Mortar carrier	PzMrs	42 (as of 2008)[1]	Mortar carriers with Tampella 120 mm mortars Were transferred from Germany in 2005 and 2006.[5]
Howitzers
M101		United States	Howitzer	105 mm caliber	54 (as of 2008)[1]	72 items were transferred from Denmark in 2002 (18 of them - for spares only).[6]
Heavy mortars
2B11		Soviet Union	Mortar	120 mm caliber	20 (as of 2008)[1]	20 items were transferred from Bulgaria in 1999.
M1982		Romania	Mortar	120 mm caliber	24 (as of 2008)[1]
M38/43		Soviet Union	Mortar	120 mm caliber	11 (as of 2008)[1]
M/41D		Finland	Mortar	120 mm caliber	12 (as of 2008)[1]
Light mortars
M19		United States	Mortar	60 mm caliber
M60		Bulgaria	Mortar	60 mm caliber
LM-60		Poland	Mortar	60 mm caliber		[7]
Grenade launchers
Heckler & Koch GMG		Germany	Automatic grenade launcher	40x53 mm caliber
Heckler & Koch AG36		Germany	Grenade launcher	40x46 mm caliber
wz. 1974 Pallad		Poland	Grenade launcher	40x47 mm caliber	10	Use by SOJ Aitvaras[7][8]
Anti-tank warfare
Pvpj 1110		Sweden	Recoilless rifle	90 mm caliber	100
FGM-148 Javelin[9]		United States	Anti-tank missile	127 mm caliber	40
Carl Gustav recoilless rifle		Sweden	Recoilless rifle	84 mm caliber		M2 and M3 variants.
AT4[10]		Sweden	One-shot anti-tank weapon	84 mm caliber

Air-defence weapons

Model	Image	Origin	Variant	Quantity	Details
Air-defence artillery
Bofors 40mm gun		Sweden	Bofors 40mm L/70	18	In wartime reserves.
Air-defence missiles
RBS-70		Sweden	RBS 70	21	Including 5 training simulators, 5 Giraffe Mk-IV radars and about 210 Mk1 missiles.[11] Being modernised.
FIM-92 Stinger		United States	FIM-92 Stinger	8	Acquired in 2007 "Dual Mount Stinger" modification with 54 missiles, 9 trainers, 6 test missiles, 2 MPQ-64 Sentinel radars, tactical control centres and Humvee trucks for transportation.[12][13]
PZR Grom		Poland	Grom	25	Unspecified amount being bought [14]

Infantry weapons

Model	Image	Origin	Variant	Details
Pistols
Browning Hi-Power		Belgium		[15]
Glock pistol		Austria	Glock 17	[16]
Heckler & Koch USP		Germany	USP	[17]
M1911		United States	M1911A1	[18]
MAG pistol		Poland	MAG-95	Use by SOJ Aitvaras.[7]
Shotguns and submachine guns
Benelli M4		Italy	Benelli M4	(Special Forces)
Heckler & Koch MP5		Germany	Heckler & Koch MP5SD3
Heckler & Koch UMP		Germany	Heckler & Koch UMP45	(Special Forces)
PM-84 Glauberyt		Poland	PM-84P	Reconnaissance units.[19]
Assault rifles and Machine guns
Heckler & Koch G36		Germany	Heckler & Koch G36K	standard service assault rifle[20]
FN SCAR		Belgium	FN HERSTAL	Precision Rifle. Used in land forces since 2015. marksmen version of the FN SCAR-H rifle, the SCAR-H PR, along with Schmidt & Bender optics
Heckler & Koch G3		Germany  Sweden	Ak 4	Phasing out of service.[21]
kbs wz. 1996 Beryl		Poland	kbs wz. 1996A Beryl	Use by SOJ Aitvaras and reconnaissance units. Some also equipped with Pallad grenade launcher and CWL-1 optic sight.[7][19][22]
kbk wz. 1996 Mini-Beryl		Poland	kbk wz. 1996A Mini-Beryl	Use by SOJ Aitvaras and reconnaissance units. Some also equipped with CWL-1 optic sight.[7][19][22]
M14 rifle		United States	M14	[23]
M16 rifle		United States	M16A1	.[24]
Rheinmetall MG 3		Germany		[25]
FN MAG		Belgium	[26]
M2 Browning		United States		Typically mounted on unarmoured or lightly armoured vehicles.[27]
Sniper rifles
BARRETT M82A1		United States
FR F2 sniper rifle		France		[28]
GOL Sniper Magnum		Germany		[29]
Heckler & Koch PSG1		Germany	MSG90A1	[30]
Sako TRG		Finland	Sako TRG-22	[31]

Reserves

Lithuanian Land Forces are formed from professional military servicemen and volunteers. In 2008 the minister of national defence of Lithuania signed a law that ceased conscription in an effort to develop Lithuania's professional army. National defence is based on reserve forces and mobilisation forces. The new minister plans to increase national defence capabilities by making all males from 18 to 24 take 7 week military basic training. After that the person will be added to the military reserves.

International missions

Lithuania has participated in international missions in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Bosnia. The main force is currently (2013) in Afghanistan. Right now there are more than 200 soldiers serving on foreign soil

References

As of this edit, this article uses content from "Lithuanian Armed Forces :: Structure » Land Forces", which is licensed in a way that permits reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, but not under the GFDL. All relevant terms must be followed.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Army of Lithuania.

• Lithuanian Ministry of Defence site
• Stefan Marx, 'Lithuania's Defence Structure,' Jane's Intelligence Review, September 1993, p. 407-409

Lithuanian Armed Forces Land Force Naval Force Air Force Volunteer Forces Special Force

Lithuania topics History Early Balts Lithuania proper Grand Duchy 1219–95 Duchy Kingdom Christianization Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Revival and independence Press ban National Revival Great Seimas of Vilnius Act of Independence Wars of Independence Lithuanian–Soviet War Polish–Lithuanian War 1919 Polish coup d'état attempt 1926 coup d'état WWII and occupations Occupation of the Baltic states by the Soviet Union (1940) by Nazi Germany by the Soviet Union (1944) Holocaust Resistance Baltic states under Soviet rule (1944–91) Restoration Reform Movement (Sąjūdis) Singing Revolution Baltic Way Act of Re-Establishment January Events Geography Cities capital Climate Extreme points Flora Forests Lakes Regional parks Rivers Towns Politics Administrative divisions counties municipalities elderships Constitution Constitutional Court Foreign relations Government Prime Minister LGBT rights LGBT history Law Law enforcement Seimas parliament Speaker elections political parties President Military Land Force Naval Force Air Force Special Operations Force Economy Agriculture Banks Central bank Energy Euro Litas (former currency) Telecommunications Transport airports rail roads seaport Tourism Society Demographics Education universities Ethnic minorities Ethnographic regions Language Lithuanians Religion Culture Calendar Cinema Cuisine Cultural history Ethnographic Lithuania Literature Music Mythology Name Public holidays Sport Symbols anthem coat of arms flag Outline Index Book Category Portal WikiProject