Construction, Legislation, Lithuania, Real Estate

Photo: kam.lt

According to the Ministry, in case of a need, Lithuanian military personnel will as well stay at the new facility.

“The project is another Lithuania’s step towards improved Host Nation Support we render to deployed NATO troops. We wish to ensure accommodation and appropriate conditions for completing their tasks,” Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas said.

The Lithuanian Air Force Base in Siauliai is the main base for hosting NATO air detachments deployed to carry out the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States. The airport in Siauliai is used by NATO troops attending military exercises in Lithuania, for providing intense logistical support to NATO soldiers training in Lithuania, for airlifting equipment and personnel. The new building will provide accommodation for aircraft crews and soldiers arriving for short deployments to different units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces as well as for personnel of the NATO Air Policing Mission detachments during changeovers.

Troops coming for longer deployments will have the opportunity choose and receive accommodation at hotels in the town of Siauliai, while the new facility will mainly serve for lodging crews and maintenance personnel of transit flights coming for short deployments to various training events.

The new building will accommodate roughly 200 persons at a time, single and double rooms will be available with separate bathrooms. The temporary lodging facility will also have a dining facility and a small gym.

Constructions of the two-storey building will begin early this year with the prospective completion in November. The project is already approved and preparations are ongoing with only winter weather preventing from throwing into active works.

The preliminary value of the project amounts to EUR 5.6 million, including building of a transformer substation and installation of utilities networks.

As the host nation, Lithuania will pay staying costs of foreign troops.

In the future a sports facility, fire safety hangar, hangars and helipads for newly acquired helicopters, stationary light-weight hangars for 4 fighter aircraft and other engineering infrastructure is planned to be built as part of extension of Siauliai Airbase of the Lithuanian Air Force.