“Capabilities must be united for the production of systems able to operate at the front line. Then Lithuania will be prepared to counter any challenge. (&) We are moving in that direction. The Government and business understands this, but efforts must be intensified to produce an operational item. Lithuania is capable of manufacturing self-destructing drones or drones dropping explosives and this has to be done,” Conservative MP Saudargas told the radio station Žinių radijas on Wednesday.
“Lithuania does not have heavy industry. We do not make tanks, we do not make howitzers, we do not make planes and it does not seem that we will be any time soon. Yet we can produce small drones,” he added.
According to the politician, war in Ukraine has demonstrated the growing importance of unmanned aerial vehicles and automation in military conflicts.
“In the war in Ukraine, the role of drones is ever increasing. In recent weeks, close to 50% of heavy equipment was hit by drones. These are entirely different numbers compared with the start of the war as technology has advanced in 2 years. And we may predict that in the future robots will be used in battle,” said Saudargas.
Earlier in January 2024, the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence discussed the development of unmanned aerial vehicles in Lithuania. Deputy Minister of National Defence Žilvinas Tomkus said EUR 30 million is planned to be allocated for that annually.