First Lithuanian-made drones to be delivered to Ukraine in September

The first Lithuanian-made First-Person View (FPV) drones are planned to be delivered to Ukraine in September. Source: Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT, as reported by European Pravda Details: "It is planned that the first FPV drones to be purchased (from Lithuanian manufacturers) could be handed over to Ukraine as early as the second half of September," the Lithuanian Defence Ministry stated.

The ministry said last week that combat drones from five Lithuanian manufacturers had been tested by Ukraine's Defence Ministry in battlefield conditions and would be sent to Ukraine.

That was the second attempt, as the Lithuanian drones had failed the initial tests. The Lithuanian ministry reported that FPV drones from eight Lithuanian companies had undergone two stages of testing in Ukraine, with technical problems occurring at the initial stage of flights in an operational environment.

Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kas?i?nas noted that Lithuania was considering purchasing UAVs from the manufacturers that had passed the tests. "In the future, the practice of testing drones in Ukraine before purchase is planned to continue," the ministry said.

The plan currently involves supplying Lithuanian-made drones to Ukraine with a budget of EUR5 million and providing UAVs worth up to EUR3 million for the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The remaining funds from the EUR10 million programme will be allocated to purchasing reconnaissance drones for Ukraine. In early July, Lithuania signed contracts totalling EUR36 million to purchase various types of drones from Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian manufacturers.

Lithuania's Defence Ministry expects most of the drones to be delivered this autumn, with the rest arriving in early 2025. The ministry stated that the procurement is being expedited to enhance the drones' capabilities and integrate them into the Lithuanian Armed Forces as quickly as possible. Lithuania has recently launched an active effort to fully integrate state-of-the-art uncrewed systems into its armed forces, drawing on lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian war.

In the summer of 2024, contracts were signed for the acquisition of various types of drones, particularly those from the Latvian manufacturer Edge Autonomy and the Estonian company Threod Systems. The procurement is being conducted under an urgent procedure. Lithuania is also experiencing a surge in demand for drone operator courses: just a week after registration opened, all available training spots were filled until the New Year.

In autumn, the government is preparing to launch a platform through which Lithuanians can donate money for the country's defence needs.

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