"Troops need to have proper conditions. Unfortunately, our army, some of our professional soldiers are still using temporary infrastructure, and this situation cannot continue for decades," he said in Rokantiskes, Vilnius District, on Wednesday during the ceremony of burying a symbolic capsule to mark the start of the construction of one of the new campuses.
"As Lithuania's armed forces expand, we have to take care of the working and training conditions for these troops, and the construction of military campuses will make a very significant contribution to this," the minister underlined. "Those 2,500 troops will have the opportunity to serve in a very different environment in two years, or even sooner, than they do now."
The new military campus in Rokantiskes will have a designated area of 17.7 hectares. The Lithuanian Duke Vaidotas Mechanized Infantry Battalion, currently temporarily stationed in Marijampole, will move into the new military campus.
The new campus project will include the construction of barracks, canteens, headquarters, medical facilities, sports facilities, squares, warehouses, garages, a fuel station, a car wash, shelters for equipment, marshaling and equipment yards and parking spaces.
The construction of the military campus in Rokantiskes is scheduled to be completed by the end of late 2023 or early 2024. It will accommodate up to 2,500 troops or civilian employees of the national defense system.
Lithuania plans to build three new military campuses in total. In addition to the one in Rokantiskes, another will be built in Silale District and the third one will be constructed Siauliai.