Kaunas highlights hundreds of millions allocated for airspace defense

Lithuania’s defense spending on airspace protection has surged from zero in 2019 to €524 million this year, Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas told parliament, as reported by LRT.lt.

Speaking during a government hour session in late May, Kaunas detailed the annual allocations: €25 million in 2020, €12 million in 2021, €62 million in 2022, €78 million in 2023, €217 million in 2024, and €284 million in 2025. This year’s figure, he noted, is double last year’s and nearly triple the 2023 amount.

“If we had not allocated funds for airspace defense earlier, we would not have the factual circumstances we have today,” Kaunas said. “This year, last year, and the year before, we began adequately financing airspace defense needs. Therefore, future defense ministers will be able to enjoy normal airspace defense.”

Former Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, whose government was in office during part of the period cited, said his administration prioritized plugging gaps and achieving the NATO target of 2% of GDP for defense spending. He did not recall whether airspace defense was discussed separately at the time.

Former Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas noted that defense procurement often spans multiple years, meaning payments are made later. The Defense Ministry confirmed to LRT.lt that airspace defense and surveillance have been a key priority for over a decade, with consistent and significant investment growth.

Kaunas did not specify allocations for 2016–2018, focusing only on 2019 onward. The ministry later clarified that no funds were earmarked specifically for airspace defense in 2019, with allocations beginning in 2020.