Germany cashes in on Baltics’ fear of Russia
“We have come to a undeniable opinion to select and acquire a Boxer battalion fighting vehicles,” pronounced Lithuania’s counterclaim arch Jonas Vytautas Zukas.
Speaking after a assembly of a State Defence Council, he pronounced a Baltic EU and NATO republic had picked a German-made vehicles out of 12 bids.
The initial vehicles done by a Artec organisation of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles are approaching to arrive in 2017.
He pronounced a cost would be disclosed usually after a talks with Artec are over, though a supervision source pronounced a understanding could be value around €400 million.
In a state bill for 2016 authorized on Thursday, Lithuania has vowed to lift counterclaim spending by some-more than a third opposite this year amid increasing concerns over Russia’s actions in Ukraine and troops activity in a Baltic area.
In September, Lithuania sealed a €16-million understanding to buy 21 used self-propelled howitzers from Germany.
The United States has duration deployed some troops apparatus in Lithuania, including a Abrams conflict tanks.
The 3 Baltic states and Poland have also called for a permanent NATO participation in a segment to deter Russia though a allies have so distant stranded to back-to-back couple rotations.
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Article source: http://www.thelocal.de/20151211/germany-cashes-in-on-baltics-fear-of-russia