On February 11, 2025, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced that conscripts of the Lithuanian army conducted training exercises with the German-made PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers for the first time, marking a significant enhancement of the country's defense capabilities.
However, it is also important to note that Lithuania acquired its PzH 2000s only in 2015, which indicates not just the longevity of such artillery systems in the Lithuanian military's lineup.
The fact of these training sessions is reported by the Army Recognition portal. While discussing the preparation segment of Lithuanian conscripts on the PzH 2000, no additional details are provided; it is simply stated that this training has occurred for the first time.
In this context, one could speculate that Lithuania is specifically practicing mobilization preparation mechanisms for its new recruits, including the use of heavy equipment.
Moreover, under current conditions, the German PzH 2000 is the most powerful weapon in the Lithuanian army, which has 16 of these self-propelled howitzers at its disposal.
Meanwhile, regarding the acquisition of PzH 2000s for Lithuania, the circumstances appear as follows. The contract for these howitzers with Germany was signed in 2015, and it included the delivery of 21 units, of which 16 were operational, two for training purposes, and three intended as "donors for spare parts." In reality, the first deliveries to the Lithuanian army began in December 2018, but the deliveries were not completed until April 2022.
It is noteworthy that the Bundeswehr continued to sell its arsenals even after the start of Russia's war against Ukraine in 2014, even if these arms deals were ostensibly aimed at strengthening NATO's "eastern flank."
Earlier, Defense Express also reported that among all the Baltic countries, only Latvia has tanks, specifically three donated T-55s, which is an important piece in the overall picture of how Western countries have long ignored issues related to their military preparedness.
