Lithuania will purchase interceptor drones that have been tested in Ukraine
The Lithuanian government has approved the purchase of a test batch of American Merops AS-3 Surveyor interceptor drones. These drones have already been tested in Ukraine under combat conditions.
This was reported by LRT.
The Lithuanian government approved the Ministry of Defense’s request to purchase these systems without following the traditional public procurement procedure. Had this exception not been applied, the country would have had to announce a tender and select the supplier with the most economically advantageous offer. As noted, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense insisted on purchasing the Merops systems specifically because of their use in Ukraine.
"We want to acquire a functional, reliable, and battle-tested Merops interception system that allows us to effectively combat unmanned aerial systems such as the 'Shahed,' 'Gerbera,' and various analogues at a low cost," said Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas.
In his submission to the government, the minister noted that the Defense Resources Agency intends to purchase Merops AS-3 Surveyor systems from the American manufacturer Perennial Autonomy, consisting of 48 unmanned aerial vehicles without combat payloads—24 units with thermal sensors and 24 with radar sensors. Training and radar integration services will be procured simultaneously.
Lithuaniastated that it would not allow Fico’s plane to fly to Moscow due to moral considerations.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico sent a request to Poland for permission for his plane to fly to Moscow to participate in events on May 9.
The Slovak leader confirmed receiving the refusal, calling the actions of EU member states unprecedented, but assured that he would use an alternative route.
