The Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania and the Defence Resources Agency will allocate about 3 million euros for the development of a domestic interceptor drone to combat enemy drones. This was reported by LRT, citing a statement from the Lithuanian defence ministry, writes UNN.
Details
As noted by the ministry, the goal of the initiative is to create an effective and cost-efficient system, designed and manufactured in Lithuania, capable of detecting, intercepting, and neutralizing aerial targets.
The ministry emphasized that in the future, the interceptor drone should become a component of the country's air defence system.
The project will be implemented in two stages
Strengthening the defence industry and air defence are key priorities, so we want to develop and produce interceptor drones in Lithuania by our engineers. In this way, we strengthen not only air defence but also the competencies that remain in Lithuania
According to the ministry, in the first stage, up to three competition participants may receive funding to create prototypes. In the second stage, pilot batches of products are planned to be purchased from the two companies that show the best results.
The ministry noted that the new programme will complement already planned procurements of counter-drone systems and will contribute to the development of the Lithuanian defence industry.
Companies can submit applications to participate in the competition until July 10.