On Friday of the coming week, November 20, the Panzerbrigade 45 “Lithuania”, as part of Exercise Freedom Shield 26-2, will rehearse the tactical water crossing over the Nemunas River (Memel). Among other assets, reconnaissance and FPV drones, land-based unmanned systems, and Eurofighter combat aircraft of the Luftwaffe will be deployed. Subsequently, the unit will train until November 27 at the Rudninkai training area on the Battle of Combined Arms.
During the water crossing, dismounted forces equipped with inflatable boats and under the supervision of main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles as well as drones will form a bridgehead at Nebriai, so that the engineers on ferry operations that day can ferry the Multinational Battlegroup Lithuania across.
Earlier, Panzergrenadier Battalion 122 from Oberviechtach in Bavaria, reinforced by elements of Panzer Battalion 203 from Augustdorf (North Rhine-Westphalia), will be transported to Lithuania by sea and air.
Dutch Bridge Engineers Support Panzer Brigade 45
With the support of Dutch bridge engineers from the 105th Engineer Company Water Construction (Bridge Engineer Company 105) from ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the reinforced Panzergrenadier Battalion 122 and the Multinational Battlegroup Lithuania stationed in Rukla will cross the waterway between the villages of Pociunai and Nibriai and form a bridgehead. Among others, the Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda will observe the maneuver.
Freedom Shield 26-2 is, with around 3,800 exercise participants, the largest combat exercise of the Bundeswehr in Lithuania to date. The exercise involves soldiers from eight NATO states. With the exercise “Freedom Shield 26-2,” the Lithuanian Brigade is charting new paths: drones will be used for reconnaissance and effects, and loitering munitions systems will be tested for the first time.
