Lithuania simplifies arms procurement from its manufacturers, particularly for Ukraine
The Lithuanian government has eased requirements for state defence procurement in order to speed up and simplify procedures for local manufacturers.
Source: a statement by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The Lithuanian government has decided that purchases of drones, anti-drone systems, optical equipment and laser target designators from domestic manufacturers will be exempt from the requirements of the Law on Defence and Security Procurement.
"The aim of procuring this military equipment is to supply both the Ukrainian and Lithuanian armed forces with equipment manufactured or finally assembled in Lithuania," the statement reads.
Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reported that following the changes, Lithuania's Ministry of Defence will spend €12 million on anti-drone systems, €9 million on optical equipment and €1.5 million on laser target designators.
The ministry aims to encourage Lithuanian manufacturers to develop their technical capabilities so that by 2027, the Lithuanian Armed Forces will have achieved operational capability in unmanned aerial systems.
Background:
In mid-January, Lithuania's State Defence Council decided that the country should spend 5 to 6% of its GDP on defence, or about €12 billion over the next five years.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has announced that the country will allocate 5.25% of its GDP to defence in 2026.
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