The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence has accepted its first tranche of Parrot Anafi quadcopters as part of its unmanned aerial system expansion project for the military.
Worth 2.5 million euros ($2.7 million), the fleet is now awaiting distribution from Lithuanian Armed Forces warehouses. Several of the micro drones will be used for initial operator training under the initiative.
The Baltic state signed the 36-million-euro ($40.2 million) primary deal to acquire the French-made microdrones with local defense contractor Deftools in July 2024.
Additional partners, including the Latvian company Edge Autonomy and Estonia-based Threod Systems, also signed the same agreement to supply small-class and mini-class drones for the Lithuanian effort.
The government revealed in September 2022 that it will allocate approximately 200 million euros ($223.7 million) for the project, with about $33.5 million each year until 2030.
After the Anafi microdrones, the other systems will start arriving in the autumn of 2024 and some in 2025.
“We are step by step developing capabilities of different types of drones in the Lithuanian Armed Forces so that we are able not just to train more operators but also strengthen our operational capabilities,” Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas stated.
Kamikaze Drones Soon
Alongside the recent milestone, Lithuania is engaged with another project to equip its warfighters with modern combat drones.
In December 2022, the nation awarded American developer AeroVironment a $47.8-million contract to supply its proprietary Switchblade 600 and 300 loitering munitions or “kamikaze” drones for the armed forces.
Upon delivery this year, Lithuania will become the second government to employ the system after the US.