Saab has signed a framework agreement with the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence to provide the country with several Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless weapons and ammunition.
Carl-Gustaf M4 is a man-portable, shoulder-launched weapon system designed to meet a wide range of infantry forces’ modern combat needs. It is used to destroy tanks, neutralize landing craft and bunkers, and engage enemies hiding inside buildings.
The next-generation weapon can be deployed in anti-insurgency or peacekeeping missions, as well as traditional force-on-force conflicts in urban combat environments.
The Lithuanian Defence Materiel Agency has placed a $16.7 million ammunition order as part of the framework agreement.
With the recent signing, Lithuania joins the Carl-Gustaf framework agreement signed by Estonia, Latvia, and Sweden.
“It’s a great milestone to have Sweden and all the Baltic countries in the same agreement for the Carl-Gustaf system,” Saab official Görgen Johansson said in a press release. “Now we look forward to delivering this ammunition and providing Lithuania with the fantastic Carl-Gustaf M4 system.”
Bolstering Military Firepower
Last month, Lithuania and the US signed an agreement to improve their defense partnership by facilitating more arms purchases and improving military interoperability.
According to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, the American and Lithuanian armed forces stand “shoulder to shoulder” against evolving threats and will continue to work together “to advance shared interests and values.”
Months before the agreement was signed, the US donated anti-tank weapons worth $10 million to the Lithuanian armed forces to strengthen the alliance and help boost Lithuania’s national defense.
The Lithuanian military also participated in a July drill with Ukraine, the US, and Poland amid increasing tensions between Kyiv and Moscow.
Dubbed “Three Swords 2021,” the exercise involved more than 1,200 military personnel and over 200 combat vehicles.
