U.S. Army holds live-fire gunnery close to Belarus border

United States Army soldiers from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division conducted Bradley Fighting Vehicle gunnery on Jan. 11-12 at the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade, Lithuania.

The training involved live-fire exercises designed to validate crew performance and maintain readiness along NATO’s eastern flank.

According to the U.S. Army, the gunnery focused on improving the lethality and proficiency of Bradley crews as they advanced through collective training tables. The service said the drills strengthen warfighting readiness, build crew confidence and support the presence of combat-credible forces in a region that remains a priority for NATO. The training involved multiple Bradley crews rotating through daytime and nighttime engagements at the Lithuanian facility.

As noted by the Army, the 1st Cavalry Division regularly conducts gunnery and combined-arms training during deployments to Europe. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is a tracked infantry vehicle equipped with a 25mm cannon, a coaxial machine gun and TOW anti-armor missiles. Gunnery events test the crews’ ability to acquire targets, fire accurately and coordinate movement under operational conditions.

The General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area is located near Lithuania’s border with Belarus and not far from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The training grounds have become an important venue for U.S. and NATO forces, offering varied terrain and the ability to conduct armored maneuvers in an area viewed by alliance members as strategically sensitive. The Army’s presence at the site supports ongoing rotational deployments designed to reinforce NATO’s eastern defenses.

U.S. units frequently train in Lithuania as part of Atlantic Resolve and related missions intended to maintain readiness, support interoperability and assure NATO allies. The 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team’s deployment includes armored vehicles, logistics elements and combat enablers positioned to support multinational training events across the region.

The Army said that gunnery certification remains a core requirement for armored crews and ensures soldiers are prepared to operate the Bradley in contested environments. Crew-level tasks include target recognition, weapons handling, fire commands and coordinated engagements with supporting elements. The service stated that such training sustains operational standards and prepares crews for participation in larger NATO exercises.

The Pabradė training events continue a long-running schedule of U.S.–Lithuanian defense cooperation. Lithuania hosts regular rotations of American armored and airborne units, and the country provides training facilities for artillery, mechanized and reconnaissance operations. U.S. soldiers assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division routinely participate in combined drills with Baltic partners during their rotations.

Lithuania’s proximity to Belarus and Kaliningrad gives the training added relevance, as NATO continues to focus on readiness in a region shaped by increased military activity and heightened tensions in recent years.