Lithuania will donate 5,000 locally manufactured first-person view (FPV) drones to Ukraine and purchase 2,300 for its own military.
The drones, equipped with quadcopter frames for vertical take-off and landing, can carry up to 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of payload.
In August, the Lithuanian defense ministry confirmed that drones from five local companies passed tests simulating frontline conditions in Ukraine and were in the final stage of being delivered.
$8.9 Million Program
The initiative is part of a 5-million-euro ($5.58 million) budget for Ukraine and 3 million euros ($3.3 million) for the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
As part of its latest investment in defense, Lithuania commissioned a 1-million-euro ($1.1 million) contract to Vilnius-based Granta Autonomy, for its new GA-10-FPV-AI quadcopter platform.
The GA-10-FPV-AI drones can operate autonomously without GPS, adapting to various video signal frequencies and different types of cameras.
Lithuania Investing in Defense
Since February 2022, in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Lithuania has increased its investments in advanced technologies for defense, with drones, society-wide preparations, and fortifications.
In mid-2024, Lithuania issued contracts worth 36 million euros ($40.2 million) to purchase drones from Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian manufacturers under urgent procurement.
Moreover, the Lithuanian government plans to launch a platform allowing citizens to contribute directly with private donations for the country’s defense needs.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced in June that the State Defense Council agreed to allocate at least 0.25 percent of GDP in support of Ukraine.
Lithuania’s defense agency has so far sent approximately 641 million euros ($699.9 million) in military aid to Ukraine.
Last August, Vilnius sent Kyiv a package with 14 M113 armored personnel carriers, short-range air defense systems, drone jammers, and military trailers.
