„Thanks to the additional defence funding achieved this year, this week we signed two contracts on two air defence systems – a short-range one and a medium-range one. We have made these procurements to happen sooner by up to seven years in some of the cases,“ Laurynas Kasčiūnas told a press conference on Friday.
The minister said the new contract with the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace is set to bolster Lithuania’s military capabilities by a third NASAMS system.
The ministry also signed a EUR 130 million-worth contract with Sweden’s Saab on the procurement of the MSHORAD short-range air defence system.
The new systems will be used by the national division.
The first MSHORAD mobile short-range air system should reach Lithuania between 2025-2027, while the second one is scheduled to be delivered by 2029, Kasčiūnas said.
According to the minister, the second NASAMS battery should be in Lithuania already next year – the delivery of the system in parts will start in the first quarter of 2026 and will be completed in early 2027. The third battery will reach Lithuania between the second quarter of 2028 and the end of that year.
More than 45% of Lithuania’s total defence budget this year, or nearly EUR 1 billion, is allocated to upgrading the armed forces.