German brigade could strengthen Lithuania’s threat detection

Electronic intelligence systems planned for Germany’s brigade in Lithuania could improve the country’s early-warning capability and help identify potential threats more quickly, President Gitanas Nausėda’s chief national security adviser Deividas Matulionis said, LRT reported Tuesday.

“If this happens, it means the German brigade will take every measure to protect its soldiers,” Matulionis told Žinių radijas. He said technical systems used for early warning would benefit both Germany and Lithuania.

Matulionis did not specify what technical capabilities Lithuania might use or how much intelligence Germany would share. “We cannot speak publicly about the details, but this will strengthen our ability to quickly identify threats if they arise,” he said.

Lithuania has no current plans to establish a broader regional intelligence and early-warning centre with Germany, Matulionis said. He added that Lithuania already had sufficient capabilities and shared information with its allies. A larger allied military presence, he said, would make early-warning systems more effective.

Reuters has reported that the German brigade being deployed in Lithuania plans to use electronic intelligence systems to monitor Russian and Belarusian military signals.

Germany pledged in the summer of 2022 to deploy a brigade-sized military unit to Lithuania. About 5,000 German military personnel and civilians are expected to move to the country, some with their families. Most of the brigade was due to be transferred by 2026, and Germany’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, has said it is expected to reach full operational capability in 2027.