VILNIUS - Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene says that increasing defense spending is aimed at ensuring that military actions take place outside Lithuania's borders.
"Our goal is to keep (the enemy) out of our territory," she said on LRT's Lithuanian Future Forum program on Monday, explaining the need for extra funding for the military.
According to the minister, strengthening the armed forces is about destroying enemy targets on their own soil or reclaiming occupied Lithuanian territory.
"The six key areas we'll be investing in are land maneuver capabilities, indirect fire support, integrated air defense, military engineering, reconnaissance, and logistics," Sakaliene said.
"Along with this, of course, there's maritime situational awareness, coastal and port defense, naval operations, air operations, and so on," she added.
The plan calls for the formation of a light infantry brigade by 2027, with a heavy brigade fully equipped with necessary weapons and military equipment to be established by 2030.
The minister confirmed that the Patriot long-range air defense system is not included in the roughly 12 billion euros earmarked for military purchases.
"The budget, as currently planned, doesn't include Patriot systems," she stated.
Lithuania hopes that the Patriot system will be shared by the US, according to the minister.
The State Defense Council has decided that Lithuania should allocate between 5 and 6 percent of its GDP to national defense annually over the next five years.
The military estimates that it needs an additional 12 billion euros by 2030 to establish a national division and host Germany's brigade.
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