The Lithuanian Armed Forces has begun fielding the US-made AN/TPS-77 Multi-Role Radars (MRR) to bolster national surveillance capability and integrate them into the collective NATO air defense network.
Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the transportable 3D radar systems feed real-time tracking data directly into NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense System.
The installation enhances regional air monitoring alongside neighboring Baltic states, which share data through a surveillance grid along the alliance’s northeastern flank.
Washington began the assembly and shipment of the equipment for Vilnius through a $52.6-million foreign military sales deal signed in 2023.
That contract covered logistics, cybersecurity upgrades, related certifications, spares, tests, and installation assistance.
“We are comprehensively continuing the consistent strengthening of air defense,” Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas stated.
“These radars have been delivered to Lithuania, and our military is already deploying them. We will sign additional contracts this year — we are further strengthening both the recognition of air threats and their neutralization.”
Lockheed Martin’s AN/TPS-77 MRR
The AN/TPS-77 provides continuous 360-degree coverage at ranges up to 250 nautical miles (463 kilometers/288 miles) and altitudes up to 30,000 meters (98,425 feet).
The mobile, truck-mounted equipment allows operators to reposition monitoring assets dynamically across key sectors, including border areas near Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave.
The system’s gallium nitride components enable efficient tracking and detection of high-altitude targets as well as low-flying threats such as helicopters and unmanned aerial systems.
Lithuania expects full operational contract execution to extend through early 2027.
