Prime minister to assess Lithuania’s air defence gaps

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius will visit the Lithuanian Air Force’s Airspace Surveillance and Control Centre in Kaunas district on Wednesday to assess what is lacking in the country’s air defence, LRT reported.

During the visit, Sinkevičius will review the current airspace surveillance and control situation and discuss further government measures to strengthen the protection of Lithuania’s airspace, his adviser Gedas Salyga told BNS.

“Our responsibility is to detect threats in time and take measures so that unidentified objects that could pose a threat are neutralised,” Sinkevičius told reporters before the visit.

He said he wanted “a very clear answer” about what was missing and how the situation could be improved. Sinkevičius added that air defence was a priority alongside other purchases funded by taxpayers.

“If our skies are not safe, what can we talk about, especially since these threats are specifically linked to aircraft and flying objects?” he said.

The centre was established in 1995. It monitors and controls Lithuania’s airspace and its approaches around the clock, directs fighter jets involved in the Baltic air policing mission, responds to violations of the country’s airspace, coordinates search and rescue and transplant flights, integrates NATO units and plans air operations.

Lithuania has previously said it aims to have a fully integrated air-defence detection system before 2030.

President Gitanas Nausėda is also scheduled to meet Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas on Wednesday. The Presidential Office has not disclosed the topics of their meeting.

BNS reported that Kaunas said last week that Russia was considering attacks on critical infrastructure in the Baltic region using Ukrainian drones. Nausėda has told BNS that critical transport and energy infrastructure in Lithuania could become targets, either through conventional means or acts of sabotage.