| Abstract [eng] |
After Lithuania was accepted to the NATO, considering that call-up to the army on the national level was relinquished, the primary goal of military capability transformation has become to fulfil commitments to the international partners. Lithuania’s deterrence posture became depended on the NATO extended deterrence strategy. Lithuania, as the integrated part of the NATO collective defence system, during the stable security period did not see any threats, which could mean that collective defensive commitments of NATO partners would not be realized. The goal of this paper – to determine Lithuania’s military deterrence doctrine transformation and the main causes of changes, during 2004 – 2019. When Lithuania became a member of NATO, additional expenditures to the national defence has not been planned. Insufficient military capabilities were covered by the participation in the international operations. This strategy has helped create an image of Lithuania as a reliable international partner. Close cooperation on the international level could be considered as the communication to the adversaries, that NATO members will follow their commitments, including Article 5. During 2004 – 2014 within Lithuania membership in NATO was considered as the reliable instrument in order to ensure military deterrence. Although, this strategy was formal, because there were any defence plans or actions planned in the NATO strategic documents in order to defend Baltic region. Military conflicts in Georgia and Ukraine was breaking point within Lithuania, changing security posture externally and internally. The Baltic states have started to demand concrete defence plans, which helped strengthen deterrence posture. After 2014, then the real war threat emerged, on the political level in Lithuania it was understood, that national security could be ensured not only through the NATO organization, but through additional actions and measures as well – Lithuania’s military must be capable to react to the small conflicts, in Lithuania there must be deployed permanent NATO troops. Because of these changes, Lithuania’s deterrence posture from the theoretical discussions became real strategy, which led to create concrete action plans. Additionally, military expenditures within Lithuania was increased, call-up on the national scale was renewed, two more brigades “Aukštaitija“ and “Žemaitija“ were created. In the region, NATO forefront military troops were deployed, military exercises started to happen periodically. |
