As the Abendzeitung München reports, the Bundeswehr’s new Panzer Brigade 45 — nicknamed ‘Lithuania’ — is conducting its first combat exercise on Lithuanian soil. Around 2,900 soldiers are taking part at the Pabrade training area, including 2,300 from Germany. The exercise, named ‘Freedom Shield 2026,’ is designed to prepare the brigade for defending NATO’s eastern flank.
Sergeant Philip (surname withheld for security reasons) drives his 34 soldiers forward after dismounting from armored personnel carriers to storm an enemy barrier. ‘Attack, attack, attack,’ he orders over the radio. The laser-based training system AGDUS registers simulated hits — including death or injury. After a costly exercise, the nearly 40-year-old said: ‘In a real war, I would be dead now.’
The brigade is testing new concepts for fighting with and against drones. Tanks are attacked simultaneously by multiple drones, and unmanned systems constantly buzz overhead. Brigadier General Christoph Huber demonstrated practical drone command posts to the Army Inspector Christian Freuding. Huber advocates procuring smaller FPV kamikaze drones, controlled via video goggles — a concept proven successful in Ukraine. ‘What we can recon, we want to be able to destroy directly,’ Huber said.
Along the border with Belarus, 15 kilometers away, electronic warfare specialists have set up sensors and transmitters. The goal is to intercept and analyze military data of a potential adversary, secure own communications, and maintain the ability to jam the enemy.
Source: Stadt München
