More than 6,000 soldiers from two German brigades will take part in exercises in Lithuania through Dec. 3, alongside other NATO and Lithuanian forces.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces said the soldiers belong to the 45th Armored Brigade “Lietuva” and the 37th Mechanized Infantry Brigade Freistaat Sachsen. Germany’s 10th Armored Division will command Freedom Shield 26-II and Grand Eagle 26. Other participants include personnel from NATO’s Multinational Combat Brigade and a Lithuanian unit, as well as troops from the Netherlands, Norway, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Freedom Shield 26-II will use the Rūdninkai military training area, while Grand Eagle 26 is scheduled for the General Silvestras Žukauskas military training area. The Armed Forces said the drills will rehearse operational planning and command-and-control while building readiness and interoperability with NATO allies Lithuania and Poland.
Road users may face delays as military equipment moves between border areas, ports and training grounds, the Armed Forces said. The schedule calls for equipment to travel from the Kalvarija border post toward training sites on Nov. 6-7, with movements from Klaipėda to the sites on Nov. 10-12. Return traffic toward Kalvarija and Klaipėda is planned for Nov. 28-Dec. 3.
