The Ministry of National Defence commences the second stage of the mid-range air defence system acquisition. Aiming for the most efficient enhancement of air defence, the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System, NASAMS, will be procured and developed for the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The procurement contract was signed with the Norwegian NASAMS manufacturer Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace this week.
“We are giving the Lithuanian air defence a significant boost. The decision to continue purchasing NASAMS was taken by the Defence Materiel Agency of the Ministry of National Defence. It was based on the principal argument that a NASAMS is already successfully in use in the Lithuanian Armed Forces, therefore a new addition will be free of integration issues. Moreover, we have already developed a considerable experience of operating the system and trained personnel ready to use it,” says Vice Minister of National Defence Greta Monika Tučkutė who signed the procurement contract.
A portion of the second-stage NASAMS acquisition is expected to be delivered to Lithuania as soon as 2026.
The Ministry of National Defence took on the first phase of NASAMS acquisition in 2016, the equipment was delivered to Lithuania in 2020 and was integrated in the Lithuanian Armed Forces successfully after completing personnel training.
NASAMS is the most widely used mid-range air defence system across NATO, it is fully aligned with the requirements set for the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Further development of the NASAMS capability not only retains complete compatibility of Lithuania’s possessed and acquired equipment but also the administrative and logistical integrity and interchangeability of personnel and system parts.
The new NASAMS acquisition is worth of approx. EUR 200 million. The amount includes system components, a spare parts and tools package, training for operators and maintenance personnel, and integration of the new and possessed equipment.
