Named after Duke Margiris, the new army unit will be part of the motorized infantry brigade Žemaitija.
According to the ministry, Šiauliai was chosen as the location for the new battalion, taking into consideration operational requirements, staffing possibilities, distances to training areas and access to engineering networks.
“The new army unit in western Lithuania is another real step towards strengthening the country’s defense and ensuring conditions and infrastructure for the army’s further staffing,” Minister of National Defense Raimundas Karoblis said in a statement.