The German permanent brigade in Lithuania will use electronic warfare capabilities to provide early warning of military activity in the Russian Kaliningrad region and Belarus. The brigade will collect data on radio transmitters and radar systems of Russia and Belarus, which will be used to update databases intended for German and allied forces.
This was stated by Vice Admiral Thomas Daum, who heads Germany's cyber capabilities, to Reuters. “If something happens, these units will identify it”, he said. According to him, the collected information will allow the systems to recognize the appearance of a new radar or other change in the electromagnetic environment on the Belarusian side.
“The cyber-information sphere is not yet at war, but it is no longer at peace“, said Daum. He defined Russia's actions in some parts of Europe as having entered a “second phase”, in which the goal is now to cause damage, but below the threshold of open armed conflict.
Drone and jamming systems
The German army is currently testing various electronic warfare technologies in Lithuania. These include drone detection devices, signal interception systems, jammers and sensors that transmit data from the battlefield to remote analysts.
The technologies are designed to give the military a better picture of activity around Lithuania, which borders Belarus and is located near Kaliningrad. The data can be used to detect radar, communications and other electronic emissions related to military operations.
Patrick Jeschke, head of Germany's Center for Military Cyber Innovation, said that before the war in Ukraine, the army had difficulty finding companies willing to supply such systems. Now the challenge is different - the German military must select the most suitable technologies from a large number of proposals.
The brigade is due to be completed in 2027.
The German 45th Armored Brigade is being deployed in Lithuania in stages. According to the Lithuanian Defense Ministry, it should reach full operational readiness by the end of 2027 and include about 5,000 military and civilian personnel. It includes a mechanized infantry and tank battalion, as well as NATO's multinational battle group in Lithuania.
Germany sees electronic warfare as a key capability for monitoring and protecting NATO's eastern flank. Daum said the country has long underinvested in such capabilities, as the military's main focus has been on operations outside Europe, including in Afghanistan.
In August, the German government approved measures that would give intelligence services new powers to hack communications and disrupt operations of foreign adversaries. The legislative changes still need to be approved by the Bundestag.
Sources: reuters.com, whbl.com