A Military Campus to Be Built on the Rūdnininkai Training Ground: a Time Capsule Buried on the Site
The largest military infrastructure in the history of Lithuania is planned for the Rūdnininkai training ground - a military campus the size of the city of Šilalė in terms of population. 80% of the German brigade will serve there.
At the beginning of this month, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth almost EUR 125 million with UAB Eikos Statyba for the design and construction of the first stage of the infrastructure of the Rūdnininkai military training ground.
"Our aim is not to threaten or intimidate, nor do we glorify or praise force in the way our opponents do. But we are confident, and must always be confident, that if necessary, we will not lack the will or the strength to make anyone who wants to test our strength regret their decision. And this is yet another proof of our efforts and commitment to provide the best conditions for allies serving in Lithuania. Without our security, there is no allied security; without their security, ours is impossible. Today, we stand together in the confrontation between good and evil. We are on the side of good. We know this very well, and we must be even stronger," said Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.
"Today we have gathered at the Rūdnininkai training ground, not only to symbolically launch the first phase of the construction of the military campus, but also to make a promise to ourselves and our future. A promise to build lasting regional security based on a strong will to resist and a united collective response. We commit to defend Western civilisation shoulder to shoulder with our allies," said Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas.
The first part of the future military campus infrastructure will be constructed during this phase: administration buildings, infrastructure for maintenance and storage of military equipment (warehouses, yards, repair workshops, garages for equipment), guard building, residential dormitories for 600 troops, canteen, etc. The total area of the infrastructure buildings to be developed in the first phase is almost 56,000 square metres.
According to the agreement, this infrastructure will be set up and made available to the German brigade within three years.
"Lithuanian society is well aware of the threats and supports the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the arrival of the German brigade, as it creates a deterrent effect and significantly strengthens Lithuania's security. The development of such military campuses and the entire army, as well as the successful integration of allied forces, is only possible with sustainable funding, public support and a clear understanding of the threats to our country," said General Raimundas Vaikšnoras, Commander-in-Chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
The second phase will involve constructing the remaining campus infrastructure. The completed campus will cover 170 hectares, 10 times the size of the military campus in Rokantiškės.
The military infrastructure will cover a total area of 200 ha. In terms of population, this military campus will be comparable to Šilale. The new military infrastructure will include 120 buildings, helipads, training fields, marshalling yards, more than 10 km of internal roads, etc.
Currently, some of the internal roads have been constructed, and the design and construction of various training infrastructure have begun and are ongoing. Preparatory works for the construction of the heavy machine gun firing range complex have started, the design of a multi-purpose firing range with provision of infrastructure is underway and the development of the infrastructure of three more ranges will begin in autumn. The total area of all the firing range complexes with their supply infrastructure will cover almost 700 ha of the range area. The land of the Rūdnininkai range continues to be cleared of Russian mines and forestry works are being carried out.
The campus, which will be built on the Rūdnininkai training ground, is part of the comprehensive development of Lithuania's military infrastructure, which is necessary to prepare for the smooth transfer of the German Brigade to Lithuania and to provide all the opportunities for the allies to train.
The design of the Neris Terrace, a military campus for German troops, is also progressing well in Rukla. A permanent logistics area and ammunition depots will be built in Rukla in mid-2025.