Lithuania has begun production of anti-drone ammunition

The Lithuanian state-owned factory Giraitė, located in the Kaunas district, has launched production of innovative small-caliber anti-drone ammunition developed based on lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. The first trial batches of the new ammunition, designed to protect soldiers from drones at ranges of 50 to 100 meters, have already been sent to Sweden and France for testing. 

The new rounds are compatible with standard NATO 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm caliber weapons, cost about two euros each, and were successfully field-tested for the first time last week by the Lithuanian Armed Forces. 

The company plans to produce approximately five million such rounds per year, which will generate up to 10 million euros in revenue and account for one-tenth of the plant’s total production. According to Giraitė Director Mindaugas Kurauskas, mass industrial production is ready to begin immediately, and interest in procurement has already been expressed by the Czech Republic, Estonia, Belgium, Israel, and Denmark, with which negotiations are underway regarding the integration of the ammunition into automated anti-drone systems.

In parallel with the launch of the new product, the plant is investing approximately 26 million euros in the construction of a second production line to modernize its facilities, and is also collaborating with the Norwegian company NAMMO and the American firm Northrop Grumman in the field of medium-caliber ammunition manufacturing. As Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekūnas noted during a conversation with journalists on Monday, this step is clear evidence of the successful introduction of innovative products and the strategic expansion of the Lithuanian defense enterprise’s capabilities in the face of modern security challenges.