On Wednesday, the minister presented the plan to integrate drones with the structures of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
„As FPV drones pass Ukrainian tests and are in a good combat level, we have taken the decision to buy such drones for our entire army, integrating the National Defence Volunteer Forces, the Military Academy General Povilas Plechavičius Cadet Lyceum, in order to build a kind of a drone ecosystem,“ the minister told an event held in the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area in Pabradė District.
Speaking at the event, Chief of Defence General Raimundas Vaikšnoras called for filling capability gaps. The war in Ukraine has shown that the effectiveness of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has gone to the next level, he said.
„We are talking not only about reconnaissance drones, but also about maritime drones. We will try to cover all the dimensions. (&) Having drones does not mean anything, we also need to prepare people. We need to create a training base,“ the general said, adding that the UAV integration process is planned to be continuously expanded.
The Government allocated an additional EUR 20 million at the end of July to buy different types of combat drones and reconnaissance UAVs.