OMM Newsroom
Germany is sending about 1,800 troops and more than 750 vehicles to Lithuania to test its ability to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, AnewZ reports.
Germany’s 37th Panzergrenadier Brigade will demonstrate its readiness to defend Lithuania alongside NATO allies during the “Grand Eagle 26” exercise. The unit, known as “Free Saxony,” is a rapid-response force.
Brigade commander Col. Hagen Ruppelt, whose unit is based in Frankenberg, Saxony, said: “We want to prove that we can move troops and combat vehicles from Germany to NATO’s eastern flank by air and land in just a few days.”
The exercise will test every operational phase, from early warning and deployment to combat readiness and the troops’ return to their permanent bases.
Most of the troops will come from the 391st Panzergrenadier Battalion, based in Bad Salzungen. They will be joined by logistics personnel, combat engineers, artillery units and command staff from several German military bases.
One of the exercise’s main events will be a live-fire drill at Lithuania’s Pabradė training area. Troops will practise joint operations by different branches against a simulated adversary.
NATO forces practise working together
The deployment, part of efforts by Germany and NATO to strengthen military readiness, is linked to the “Quadriga 2026” exercise series and NATO’s “Steadfast Dart 2026” exercise.
Since January, personnel and equipment from the Allied Reaction Force have been transported across Europe by road, air and sea to test NATO’s ability to rapidly mobilise multinational forces.
Troops from Italy, Spain, Türkiye and other NATO countries have arrived in Germany. They have carried out procedures for receiving, assembling, moving and integrating forces.
The operation aimed to bring national units together under coordinated command structures, communications networks and logistics systems so they could operate as a single force.
At Germany’s Bergen training area, NATO allies and German troops conducted complex combat manoeuvres, including advances by units from positions held by friendly forces.
After drills involving unmanned aerial vehicles and counter-drone measures, Allied Reaction Force troops trained alongside Germany’s 413th Light Infantry Battalion. Under the scenario, German infantry advanced from positions held by allied forces, providing reinforcement and supporting the continuation of combat operations.
Germany steps up focus on collective defence
The German Armed Forces, known as the Bundeswehr, have made national and collective defence a priority as the war in Ukraine continues. German military authorities consider Russia the greatest threat to peace and security in Europe in the near future.
In this context, “Quadriga 2026” goes beyond routine exercises, aiming to simulate the demands of a real military operation. The programme tested the ability to deploy combat-ready forces at short notice, coordinate under pressure and carry out missions with minimal preparation.
The German Armed Forces’ Joint Operations Command led the exercises and coordinated the participation of forces from several NATO countries. According to German military officials, the drills aimed to demonstrate the country’s growing defence capabilities and NATO’s ability to deter potential aggression through collective action.
During the “Grand Quadriga” exercise in February, the German Army practised deploying medium forces under realistic operational conditions. The exercise focused on rapidly moving troops to NATO’s eastern flank and sustaining military operations in challenging combat conditions.
