Lithuania Seeks Easier Purchases of Radars and Drone Interceptors

Lithuania’s Defence Ministry is seeking an exception to normal defence procurement rules so the country can buy specific radar systems and test a range of drone interceptors.

The ministry says standard public procurement procedures would not allow officials to select particular specialised military-equipment manufacturers for the radar purchases. Under a draft government resolution, Lithuania would acquire Spexter short-range radars and Twinvis passive radars from Germany’s Hensoldt.

The systems are described as compatible with radiolocation equipment already used by the Lithuanian military. They could also be integrated into Lithuania’s air-defence architecture and NATO’s wider system.

The proposal also calls for trial batches of 12 different unmanned-aircraft interceptors from manufacturers in the United States, Latvia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Lithuania and Ukraine. The Lithuanian companies Granta Autonomy, Baltic Viper and Vytis Tech are among the developers involved.

The trial purchases would allow Lithuania to assess how different interceptor drones could operate within a unified national airspace-defence system. The proposed technology would combine radars, optical sensors, artificial intelligence and specialised interceptor drones. Together, these systems are intended to detect approaching drones quickly, allow operators to assess the threat and act before the aircraft reach protected territory.