Lithuania buys Patria vehicles to counter growing threats

“According to the decision of the State Defence Council, we will purchase 935 Patria armoured vehicles (…), thirty of which are to be acquired by 2030,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. The vehicles will also be manufactured on Lithuanian territory.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė participated in the Council meeting. She explained the purchase decision, stating that “we live next to a war in which new and rapidly evolving technologies are being utilised. War is closer than ever.”

Remigijus Bridikis, Director of the Lithuanian State Security Department (Valstybės saugumo departamentas – VSD), highlighted the increasingly complex security situation in the Baltic Sea region. He noted that “it is necessary to be prepared for further threats.”

Lithuanian authorities maintain that they are bolstering defence and investing in their security. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas announced that new short-range radars will be integrated in Lithuania in the near future. Drone interceptor systems have also been ordered. Furthermore, domestic software is being tested in Lithuania, which is designed to integrate drone monitoring into a single, coherent system.