Lithuania seeks to bypass public procurement for trial batch of recoverable drones

Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence has requested government approval to purchase a trial batch of recoverable drones from a US manufacturer without following standard public procurement procedures, LRT reports.

The ministry, led by Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas, has asked the government to permit the Defence Resources Agency to acquire a Merops AS-3 Surveyor system (AS3/MEROPS) from US-based Perennial Autonomy. The package includes 48 non-lethal recoverable drones: 24 units equipped with thermal imagers and training parachutes, and another 24 with radio-wave sensors and training parachutes. Training and radar integration services would also be provided.

The ministry argues that a standard competitive tender—while potentially yielding a more cost-effective bid—would fail to safeguard “vital national security interests” and “strengthen Lithuania’s defensive capabilities.” It emphasises that the AS3/MEROPS system has already been tested in real combat conditions in Ukraine and is currently deployed in the field under climate conditions similar to Lithuania’s.

“No other manufacturer can offer a comparable recoverable drone system that has not only been successfully tested but is also actively used in combat under conditions matching Lithuania’s operational environment,” the ministry stated in its submission to the government. Alternative suppliers, it added, provide only “basic-level” products.

The trial batch would allow Lithuania to rapidly assess the effectiveness of this new air defence tool. Successful integration into the existing Lithuanian air defence architecture would, according to the ministry, “significantly enhance the defensive capabilities of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.”

Kaunas clarified that the purchase is strictly for a trial batch, intended to evaluate integration into Lithuania’s broader air defence system. The AS3/MEROPS combines radar, optical sensors, AI, and specialised drones to detect and intercept incoming threats before they reach protected areas—a critical capability in modern conflicts where drone attacks can be sudden and fast-moving.

The push to accelerate anti-drone acquisitions follows multiple security incidents, including two Russian drones entering Lithuanian airspace last summer—one carrying explosives—as well as a stray Ukrainian drone crossing into Lithuania this year. Authorities also face recurring threats from smuggling balloons, which pose risks to aviation safety.