Lithuanian firm delivers 9,500 drones to NATO country for Ukraine support

Lithuanian defense firm RSI Europe has fulfilled a significant contract, delivering 9,500 "Špokas" (Shpak) FPV attack drone systems and associated equipment to a NATO country's Ministry of Defense. The company announced the completion of the six-month project, which it described as a crucial phase in its development, allowing it to scale production to an industrial level and integrate capabilities with armed forces.

The deal highlights a growing demand from NATO defense institutions for rapidly deployable, battlefield-proven attack systems. The majority of the "Špokas" drones delivered under this contract have already been transferred to Ukraine's armed forces as part of official support, where they are actively used in defense operations against Russian aggression. The purchasing country is using the remaining equipment for its own armed forces' training, doctrine development, and long-term capability integration.

RSI Europe supplied drones in various configurations tailored for modern combat. These include "Shpak RF" models with frequency-hopping technology to resist electronic warfare, "Shpak FO" models controlled via fiber optic cable for immunity to radio interference, and some units equipped with thermal cameras for night operations. The delivery also included RISE-1 remote initiation system kits for explosive ordnance disposal and other military engineering tasks.

During the contract's execution, RSI Europe implemented improvements beyond the initial scope, enhancing compatibility of signal relay components to allow operators to use third-party antenna arrays. These enhancements aimed to maximize equipment flexibility without impacting delivery timelines. "We worked not only as equipment manufacturers and suppliers but also as a competence center," said Nojus Kondratavičius, RSI Europe Sales Director. "Following a model already applied in the Lithuanian army and applying lessons learned, we contributed to the comprehensive integration of capabilities into another NATO country's armed forces."

The successful fulfillment of this contract has also spurred a significant expansion of RSI Europe's production capacity, increasing its annual drone output from approximately 40,000 to 120,000 units. This expansion positions the company to sustain long-term commitments for large production volumes. "It was a demanding program in all aspects – technical, organizational, and operational," stated Tomas Milašauskas, RSI Europe CEO. "The client's expectations were high. Together with our partners, we met these expectations."