Lithuania aims to link air detection systems by late 2027

Lithuania hopes to have a partially integrated system for detecting objects in its airspace by the end of 2027, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said on Monday, according to LRT.

The next step is to connect existing detection capabilities with kinetic and non-kinetic measures that would be deployed across the country, Kaunas said. This will require changes to legislation and response procedures, which are being worked on in parallel.

His comments followed a drone entering Lithuania from Poland on Sunday morning. Debris from the aircraft was later found in Juodžioniai village, in Pasvalys district. The drone exploded, damaging a civilian car; no one was injured. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said the object was Ukrainian and carried explosives.

Kaunas said the Defence Ministry had ordered new radars, which could arrive in about a year at best, although suppliers have warned it could take two. The government has also invited bids to develop software that would combine different air detection systems. Nineteen proposals have been received and will be reviewed in the coming days.

Acoustic sensors are also being installed along the border, the minister said. A unified system would combine signals from sensors, radars and cameras operated by residents and border guards. At present, radar can detect an object’s speed, altitude and direction but does not provide sound or other analysis, he said. Reports from residents who hear an object could also help identify it.

Kaunas said the ministry was working to bring the timeline forward from 2030, the year the prime minister said in August that Lithuania hoped to have a fully integrated air detection system. In September, the Defence Ministry said developing a short-range air defence system was one of the country’s key projects and could cost up to 1 billion euros. Lithuania plans to spend 2.03 billion euros on airspace surveillance, defence and electronic warfare from 2026 to 2030. The Baltic states have asked the European Commission for additional EU funding for urgent air defence needs.