“If until now the American military was in Lithuania with the tasks of familiarizing themselves with the situation, conducting joint exercises, now such units are deployed that are provided with equipment for immediate combat operations,” TASS quoted him as saying.
This restructuring was made "taking into account the assessment of military threats," he added.
“The deterrents demonstrated that the American presence could be tactically modified, which is now done,” Rupshis added.
The agency recalls that a rotational battalion of the US Army is stationed in Lithuania.
It consists of about 500 soldiers and officers.
Also deployed to Lithuania were 155mm M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, M1A2 Abrams tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and M1068A3 armored personnel carriers.
As it became known earlier, the French army will deploy four Rafale multi-role fighters in Lithuania as part of NATO to protect the space over the Baltic countries.