The Lithuanian government has authorized the purchase of a trial batch of 48 interceptor drones without a tender.
The purchase concerns the Merops system, which has undergone combat testing in Ukraine, the national media outlet LRT reported.
The decision was made on April 22 at the request of the Ministry of National Defense.
Minister of National Defense Robertas Kaunas said strengthening air defense is one of the country’s main priorities.
According to him, the system is capable of intercepting Shahed, Gerbera, and other similar targets.
“Lithuania plans to purchase the Merops AS-3 Surveyor system from the US company Perennial Autonomy,” Kaunas said in his report.
The batch will include 48 interceptor drones without warheads.
24 units will have thermal guidance, while the other 24 will use radio-frequency guidance.
Personnel training and integration with radar systems will also be included in the purchase.
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense said the system is already in use in Ukraine.
Kaunas also said he had personally observed its operation and described it as one of the most effective systems on the market.
The trial batch is intended to assess integration into Lithuania’s air defense system.
The Ministry of National Defense added that the procurement was accelerated after Russian drone flights and other air incidents over the country.
Lithuania recently received new NASAMS systems to strengthen its air defense.
