Future Commander of the Brigade in Lithuania assumes post

Another milestone for the buildup of 45 Armoured Brigade has been reached: Brigadier General Christoph Huber, designated commander of the new army unit, arrived in Lithuania on 23 September to establish the new brigade’s command and control capability and then assume command of the brigade in a few months.

His task as head of the activation staff is to conclude all preparatory work for the deployment of 45 Armoured Brigade in the first half of 2025. The Brigadier General’s arrival coincides with the transfer of command from advance party to activation staff. The permanent deployment of army forces at NATO’s eastern flank is thus further taking shape and is now entering a decisive phase. “It is both a pleasure and an honour for me to build up 45 Armoured Brigade together with my team”, Huber stresses. He looks forward to the big tasks ahead with anticipation but also with the necessary respect.

Multifaceted assignments

His career so far has prepared him well for the job: Christoph Huber comes from Baden-Wuerttemberg and began his Bundeswehr career in 1995 with the mechanized infantry at Mellrichstadt. He graduated in political and social sciences in Munich and served as platoon leader, company commander and battalion commander, alternating with assignments as military assistant, head of a general staff division 3 at brigade level, and desk officer at the Federal Ministry of Defence. Asked about his career he emphasises that he considers his military command assignments to have been both prominent and formative.

He has also been deployed abroad twice to Afghanistan, in 2005 and in 2011. General Huber gained NATO expertise as Staff Officer at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Until September 2024 he held the post of branch chief central affairs at the Directorate-General for Military Strategy and Operations at the FMoDFederal Ministry of Defence in Berlin. Overall ministerial responsibility for the detailed planning of the Brigade in Lithuania was concentrated in his directorate. General Huber, as deputy head of the coordination element for the brigade, was therefore able to gain additional, valuable experience for his new task.

Meeting with senior decision makers

With the assumption of his new post in Lithuania, Huber will return to familiar territory: from January to August 2017 he was commander of the first enhanced Forward Presence (eFPenhanced Forward Presence) Battlegroup in Rukla. At the time, he commanded 122 Mechanized Infantry Battalion from Oberviechtach. “I want to be involved in building something up, just as I did in 2017 as first commander efP”, Huber affirms. “I am strongly committed to the task. It is our obligation as Germans to return to our Allied partners in the east the solidarity of the western Allies we experienced during the Cold War.” Lithuania is a nation particularly close to his heart.

The 49-year-old will now quickly be introduced to his new role by Colonel André Hastenrath, the former leader of the advance party who will now serve as Huber’s deputy. It is now imperative to further advance the excellent work of the advance party. At present, it doesn’t take long for the designated commander Huber to shake hands with each of the around 40 military and civilian employees of the advance party in Vilnius. As of October, when another 120 personnel are due to arrive to complete the activation staff, this is likely to take more time.

Objective: “Establish warfighting capability”

The next few days and weeks will definitely be “exciting and very busy”, Huber says. Together with his activation staff he will prepare the ground for the establishment and further buildup of 45 Armoured Brigade next year. This will include training and preparing participation in exercises to establish warfighting capability of the new major formation, as well as intensifying the already close relations with the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

Only one day after his arrival, Brigadier General Huber spoke with the Lithuanian Chief of Defence, General Raimundas Vaikšnoras. In the next few days he will meet the political leadership of the Ministry of National Defence as well as the German Ambassador in Vilnius and representatives of NATO.

Huber’s very personal ambition: “At the end of this process, I want us to have jointly established the warfighting capability of 45 Armoured Brigade and to play a decisive role in NATO’s deterrence capability at the eastern flank as part of Division 25. If called for, 45 Armoured Brigade will then defend NATO territory in Lithuania against any potential aggression.”

by PIZ Heer/Norman Möller