The first troops from the rotation mechanised US battalion arrived in Lithuania on Monday.

"We have sought for a larger long-term US military involvement in Lithuania and the region consistently and patiently," Lithuania's Minister of Defence Raimundas Karoblis is quoted in the ministry's press release.



The unit is part of the US Army Europe Operation Atlantic Resolve and will be deployed in Lithuania until spring 2020.

The 1st Armoured Battalion of the 9th Regiment, 1st Division, will bring 30 Abrams tanks, 25 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), and 70 wheeled vehicles. They will be based at the training area in Pabradė.

The US forces will also help Lithuanian forces implement the mechanisation process following the purchase of Boxer IFVs.



Read more: Boxer IFVs officially handed over to Lithuanian military

The American troops will cooperate and train with the Lithuanian military and other allies, exchange experience while implementing mechanisation of the Lithuanian Land Force. Lithuania will ensure full Host Nation Support, including lodging and logistical support, and provide access Lithuanian military training areas.

US forces have been rotating to the Baltic states and Eastern Europe since spring 2014 as part of the Operation Atlantic Resolve following Russia's aggression in Ukraine.



