“Ukrainians have very well developed drone technologies. And they want to move factories to safer areas, which could be somewhere in NATO territory, where security guarantees are entirely different, but still close to Ukraine. Having brought the technologies they would create jobs and infrastructure for production. Our national security interest is to have this is in our country. And there are many considerations like this,” Mazuronis said in an interview to the radio station Žinių radijas on Friday.
Opposition MP argues that developing and manufacturing combat drones should be Lithuania’s defence priority.
“We have all opportunities, we have production potential and basis, we have people who are determined to develop not only drone production but defence industry in general,” said Mazuronis, adding that it is easier to make drones than tanks and other heavy equipment.
Earlier in January, the Seimas Committee on National Security discussed the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Lithuania. Deputy Minister of National Defence Žilvinas Tomkus said it was planned to earmark EUR 30 million for that each year.