Lithuania aims to establish not one, but two new military training areas, Defense Vice Minister Orijana Masale said, as the Environment Ministry identified seven potential sites for a new training area.

“We are currently considering the creation of two training areas, as we recognize the significant needs of both the Lithuanian Armed Forces and our allied forces,” Masale told BNS on Thursday. “Our goal is to identify two suitable locations for military training.”

One of the proposed areas should be suitable for brigade-level exercises, while the size and scope of the second area will be determined following on-site inspections of the selected sites.

“One of them must definitely accommodate a brigade-sized training area to allow for combat exercises,” Masale said. “As for the other, we’ll determine its size once we assess the options on the ground.” She added that the list of potential sites will be narrowed down after physical surveys begin.

The Lithuanian military has expressed a preference for locating the new training grounds in the southern or northeastern parts of the country.

“We’re still analyzing theoretical models and maps, and our team is currently working with the seven most suitable areas,” the vice minister explained. “We’ll then reduce the list to a smaller number, which is why on-site inspections will begin next week.”

As BNS previously reported, none of the seven proposed sites individually meet the 20,000-hectare requirement for a brigade-sized training area.

Masale noted that this challenge will likely require combining several parcels of land and adopting “a different, more creative approach to the situation.”

The specific locations for the two new training areas are expected to be announced in July.

Source: BNS

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