The Lithuanian Defence Ministry has unveiled an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capability development plan that calls for launching drone operator courses at the Military Academy in September, setting up a registry of drone operators, promoting local manufacturers, and bolstering drone development through the paramilitary Riflemen’s Union and NGOs.
The ministry presented the plan, entitled the Lithuanian UAV Ecosystem, during a press conference on Monday.
“We can argue endlessly about the importance of drones in future wars, but we all agree that this is a transformative technology, and our country needs to be in the process so that we do not get left behind,” said Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas.
Training drone pilots
The Defence Ministry unveiled a total of four measures aimed at developing UAV capability, including the establishment of a drone competence centre at the Lithuanian Military Academy.
Once the centre is established, registration for drone operator courses will begin on August 1 and will be open to anyone interested in acquiring basic drone piloting skills. The courses will kick off in early September.
“The goal is for at least a thousand Lithuanian citizens to acquire skills as drone operators,” Kasčiūnas said.
According to the minister, the courses will teach operating civilian drones, but those who complete them will have the opportunity to “move up the skills ladder” by working with the Riflemen’s Union to train as combat drone pilots.
Testing drones in Ukraine
The second measure involves promoting the drone industry in Lithuania.
The parliament last week passed legislative amendments allowing the government to compile a list of military equipment that can be procured from Lithuanian manufacturers to ensure key national security interests.
According to Kasčiūnas, producers of FPV drones, which are piloted using special goggles displaying the drone’s camera feed, will present their products on June 10. These drones will be tested in Ukraine, and procurement procedures will be launched in late June with companies that meet the established criteria. The FPV drone program has been allocated 3 million euros.
“Many companies say they can produce the required number of FPV drones in one and a half to two months, and we will deliver them to Ukraine as aid,” the minister said.
An additional 7 million euros will be allocated to Lithuanian drone manufacturers to support not only the production of combat FPV drones but also the development of reconnaissance and other types of drones.
The plan also includes developing the UAV capability of the Riflemen’s Union, with the Defence Ministry to provide an extra 1.5 million euros and purchase additional drones for the purpose.
Kasčiūnas said that around 100,000 euros will go toward NGOs that would organise drone pilots’ clubs, adding that some schools and colleges are also planning to set up drone classes.
General Žilvinas Gaubys of the Lithuanian Armed Forces said that the approved procurement plan for 2024–2026 calls for investing 30 to 35 million euros in drone capabilities for companies, battalions, and brigades.
Some Lithuanian politicians started paying more attention to drones amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, where both sides are using UAVs for various tasks ranging from reconnaissance to destroying enemy targets.
The president-chaired State Defence Council decided in late March that the drone capability of the Lithuanian Armed Forces should be operational by 2027.
