Lithuania deploys air defense battalion unit closer to Belarus border due to drone threats

VILNIUS - Lithuania has deployed an air defense battalion unit closer to its border with Belarus due to the threat of drones, Lithuania's Chief of Defense General Raimundas Vaiksnoras said on Tuesday.

"Air defense vigilance has been increased and a unit of the air defense battalion has been redeployed closer to the border, with the ability to detect with combined measures and, if necessary, to destroy," the general told reporters at the Presidential Palace after a meeting held by President Gitanas Nauseda on the threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles from hostile states.

According to Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene, the current airspace surveillance capabilities are not efficient enough to detect low-altitude objects.

"There is a lack of radars capable of detecting small, maneuvering targets in difficult meteorological conditions," she said.

In her words, the Defense Ministry is proposing a number of changes, including upgrading air surveillance systems by purchasing new equipment and stepping up the ongoing acquisitions.

"The aim is also to have a flexible airspace management, which would allow taking the necessary measures to neutralize threats in the airspace more quickly," the minister said.

Also, she said, a legal framework is already being put in place to allow the creation of closed corridors in the event of a threat where, for example, NATO fighter jets can be informed and targets can be removed without fear of damaging any civilian infrastructure.

Other measures proposed by the Defense Ministry include mobile units capable of countering UAV threats in real time and blocking GPS and other navigation systems signals.

"As par of the development of air defense systems, we are considering mobile, rapidly deployable air defense assets capable of effectively deterring or destroying targets at an early stage," the ministry's statement reads.

In view of the increasing scale of threats posed by drones, the Defense Ministry is also proposing strengthening passive defenses around key targets. This includes drone detectors, sensors, barriers and other technical solutions.

According to the ministry, particular attention will be paid to the development of drone capabilities, as well as to the development of anti-drone and electronic warfare tools. Among other things, innovation is to be given particular emphasis.

According to the ministry, around 80 million euros has already been spent on the acquisition and integration of various types of drones into the capabilities of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and around 0.3 billion euros will be spent in this area by 2030.

Most of the weapons and equipment should be delivered to the army's depots in the near future.

Measures for closer coordination between military and civilian authorities and an automated warning system for the population are also foreseen, the defense minister said.

"As far as the short-term response is concerned, we will certainly not be firing left and right, but we will definitely take additional actions as the situation intensifies," Sakaliene said.