VILNIUS, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved a state defense fund budget of more than 710 million euros (824 million U.S. dollars) for this year, with the largest share allocated to developing an army division.
Nearly 505 million euros (586 million U.S. dollars) will go toward weapons and infrastructure for a division-level unit, including tracked infantry fighting vehicles, tanks and simulation systems, to be procured through the defense Resources Agency, the Ministry of National defense said.
Another 87 million euros (101 million U.S. dollars) is earmarked for military mobility. The Ministry of Transport and Communications will use the funds to upgrade access roads to the Pabrade and Rudninkai training areas and strengthen host nation support infrastructure.
Some 49 million euros (57 million U.S. dollars) will finance infrastructure at Rudninkai, which is preparing to host a German brigade.
Approximately 35 million euros (41 million U.S. dollars) each are allocated for counter-mobility measures and civil defense, including the acquisition of mines, explosives, mining systems and other equipment required for engineering obstacles.
The 2026 State Defense Fund accounts for about 15 percent of the total defense budget. Lithuania's total defense budget this year amounts to around 4.8 billion euros (5.6 billion U.S. dollars), or 5.38 percent of gross domestic product. ■
