| Military branches | Lithuanian Armed Forces (Lietuvos Ginkluotosios Pajegos): Land Forces (Sausumos Pajegos), Naval Forces (Karines Juru Pajegos), Air Forces (Karines Oro Pajegos), Special Operations Forces (Specialiuju Operaciju Pajegos); National Defense Volunteer Forces (Savanoriu Pajegos); National Riflemen's Union (paramilitary force that acts as an additional reserve force) (2021) |
| Military service age and obligation | 19-26 years of age for conscripted military service (males); 9-month service obligation; in 2015, Lithuania reinstated conscription after having converted to a professional military in 2008; 18-38 for voluntary service (male and female) (2019) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.13% of GDP (2020 est.) 2% of GDP (2019) 1.97% of GDP (2018) 1.71% of GDP (2017) 1.48% of GDP (2016) |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | the Lithuanian Armed Forces have approximately 16,000 active duty personnel (12,500 Army, including about 5,000 National Defense Voluntary Forces; 600 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 2,000 other, including special operations forces, logistics support, training, etc); est. 11,000 Riflemen Union (2021) |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the Lithuanian Armed Forces' inventory is mostly a mix of Western weapons systems and Soviet-era equipment (primarily aircraft and helicopters); Germany and the UK are the leading suppliers of armaments to Lithuania since 2010 (2020) |
| Military deployments | contributes about 350-550 troops to the Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine joint military brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG), which was established in 2014; the brigade is headquartered in Warsaw and is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units |
| Military - note | Lithuania officially became a member of NATO in 2004 |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
