Previously, it was announced that EUR 200 million would be allocated for the development of unmanned aerial vehicles in Lithuania by 2030.

“We have to achieve operational capability by the end of 2026. To do so, the military should develop its drone capability in integration with other capabilities. We don’t see it as a separate unit,” Kęstutis Budrys, the president’s chief national security adviser, told reporters after the president-chaired VGT meeting.

According to him, changes in legislation will be necessary to accelerate the development of drone capabilities and to involve the Lithuanian defense industry in their production.

Lithuanian politicians have begun to pay greater attention to drones in the wake of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, where both sides use drones for various tasks, from reconnaissance to attack on enemy targets.

President Nausėda and the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense have repeatedly criticized the military and the Ministry of Defense for not paying adequate attention to unmanned aerial vehicles.

Lithuanian drone ecosystem

Laurynas Kasčiūnas, head of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (NSGK) and the Prime Minister’s nominee for Defense Minister, hailed the VGT meeting as a significant move towards establishing a drone ecosystem within Lithuania.

Kasčiūnas noted a transition from focusing solely on reconnaissance drones to the development of combat drones, marking progress from concept to planning.

The Armed Forces had previously announced plans to develop reconnaissance drone capabilities within three years and to procure combat UAVs for anti-tank defense.