NASAMS EN

Experts from the Lithuanian Air Force have started testing the NASAMS medium-range air-defense system manufactured for Lithuania at the Kongsberg factory in Norway, the Defense Ministry said.

The three Baltic states should reopen the discussions of purchasing weaponry together, says Lithuania's Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius.

Lithuania expects to achieve by mid-2018 a breakthrough in NATO talks on the Baltic Sea region's air defense principles, Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis said on Wednesday.

After Lithuania's Armed Forces and Norway's Kongsberg signed a contract on acquisition of medium-range anti-missile defense systems NASAMS last Thursday, BNS Lithuania provides a list of five biggest army acquisitions after the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia.

Mid-range air defense systems will cost Lithuania 110 million euros, Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis said on Thursday after signing a contract on the acquisition of Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile Systems (NASAMS).

Lithuania's Armed Forces will Thursday sign a contract on acquisition of Norwegian medium-range air-defense systems NASAMS, the Defense Ministry said.

Lithuanian defense officials have decided to buy Norwegian medium-range air-defense systems NASAMS in hopes of patching one of the biggest defense gaps.

The United States on Monday deployed a long-range air defense system Patriot, which is capable of downing missiles, in Lithuania for air defense drills to be held in July, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said.

The Baltic countries are setting an example for all NATO member states in increasing their defense budgets, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Wednesday after visiting the Alliance's troops stationed in Lithuania.

United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis said in Vilnius on Wednesday that the US was ready to deploy defense systems in the Baltic states to deter Russia, however, has given no comment on the possibility to bring long-range defense systems Patriot.

Democratic US Senator Richard Durbin said in Vilnius on Tuesday that US troops should to be permanently stationed in the Baltic countries.

Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaitė says she updated US Vice-President Mike Pence on the expectations in connection to addition US military instruments to ensure air defence of the Baltic states.

Processes proceeding far from Lithuania and right by its borders lead to the conclusion that challenges to national security have not disappeared. Today it is hard to predict how things will proceed thus national defence is one of the priorities of national security policy.

Mid-range Norwegian advanced surface to air missile systems (NASAMS) are to be delivered to Lithuania by 2020, the Lithuanian Defence Ministry said on Friday.

Lithuania plans to spend over 100 million euros on Norwegian and US air defense systems NASAMS.