Tanks and their training grounds are relics of World War II. Even the Poles, famous for using horses against tanks during World War II, do not want to build a joint training ground with us. Recently, Poland declined to build a specific new joint training base with Lithuania in the Kapčiamiestis area due to local concerns and operational priorities.
High-Cost vs. Low-Cost: Drones have proven highly cost-effective, with relatively inexpensive drones, frequently disabling or destroying much costlier tank.
Drone Ubiquity: As noted in Modern War Institute article, the sheer number of drones makes surprise operations difficult for armored units, requiring increased integration of specialized reconnaissance and counter-drone units.
Mobility Kills: While tanks often survive impacts, according to The Defence Horizon Journal, they are frequently crippled, losing their tracks or mobility from drone and missile hits.
“With over 100 parliamentarians voting in favor, the Seimas on Thursday approved the establishment of the Kapčiamiestis training ground in the Lazdijai district.
105 parliamentarians voted in favor, four abstained, and another 12 were against.
As in the submission and deliberation stages, the proposal was again not supported by the majority of the ruling “Nemunas aušra” parliamentarians. Eight politicians from this political force, including the party leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis, voted against, four abstained.
Two “peasants” and Ignas Vėgėlė and Rimas Jonas Jankūnas, who recently left this faction, also voted against.
Full list of those who voted against the tank training ground:
Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union: Dainius Gaižauskas, Valius Ąžuolas.
Political party "Nemuno Aušra": Remigijus Žemaitaitis, Mantas Poškus, Lina Šukytė-Korsakė, Aidas Gedvilas, Tomas Domarkas, Daiva Petkevičienė, Petras Dargis, Vytautas Jucius.
Mixed group of members of the Seimas: Ignas Vėgėlė, Rimas Jonas Jankūnas.
"Lithuanian defense capabilities are in our hands and today we are taking a step forward. Our national division project is moving forward and training grounds, both expansion and creation of new ones, are critically important. The drones that we have purchased and with which we train are also being tested at training grounds, so I am grateful to the parliament for this decisive step," said Minister of National Defense Robertas Kaunas after the vote (this is not true, drones don't need such a huge territory for training (K.)).
According to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), after the adoption of the law, notifications will be sent to property owners in the territory. Compensation proposals are expected to be submitted by the beginning of next year, and the money will be transferred by mid-2027.
The exercises in Kapčiamiestis are planned to begin in 2028, and the shooting ranges will be installed by 2030.
R. Kaunas has repeatedly said that the Kapčiamiestis training ground is critically important for strengthening the country's defense and is being established due to the training needs of the national division and the German brigade deployed in the country.
The territory will be able to train 3,500–4,000 soldiers at a time in brigade-sized exercises, with Lithuanian soldiers training there mostly.
The Ministry of Defense motivates the Kapčiamiestis training ground by the strategic location of the territory near the so-called Suwalki Corridor - a narrow territory between Belarus and Kaliningrad.
Such a choice of location has also caused outrage among some local residents and others, which has led to various protest actions.
On Thursday, several hundred people gathered at Independence Square near the Seimas for a rally against the potential damage of the test site to Lithuanian forests, "Let's preserve Lithuanian forests for future generations!" Another protest action is planned for Saturday at Daukantas Square near the Presidential Palace.
The test site will cover approximately 14,600 hectares, where there are currently almost 2,000 private plots, most of which are forest land.
By law, state-owned land plots will be transferred to the Ministry of Defence for management, use and disposal under the right of trust, concluded land lease agreements are terminated, the use of the plots is changed to "territories for national defense purposes", and the areas of state-owned forests located in the test site territory are deleted from the state-owned forest register, local roads entering the test site territory, and other state and municipal property are transferred to the military for management.
The seizure of land and other property for public needs is also envisaged. Land and building owners will no longer be able to transfer, mortgage, divide, or change the purpose of their property.
Owners of real estate whose land or other property is taken for public purposes will be compensated in cash according to market value, and losses will be additionally compensated taking into account the possibility of acquiring land and other real estate elsewhere, as well as other non-pecuniary losses of the property owner.
For a residential building located in a residential area, the owner is intended to be paid compensation of more than EUR 51,000, and for an agricultural, forestry plot or commercial building - a payment of more than EUR 5,000.
Residents will be able to exercise the right to independently transfer property to the state on preferential terms for ten years.
Compensation measures will also be provided for, which will be necessary due to the establishment of a polygon by relocating protected values or strengthening other habitats.”
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