Ministry of National Defence

Defence Minister Juozas Olekas has welcomed the 2016 budget passed by parliament on Thursday which raises defence spending by one third.

On 3 December, Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas discussed his recent visit in the US, assistance to Ukraine, participation in multinational operations and other security and defence issues at a meeting with Ambassador of the United States in Lithuania Deborah A. McCarthy, the Ministry of N...

Transparency International has published the Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index revealing that primary anti-corruption challenges for Lithuania's defence and security sector are related to internal procedures and procurement.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius says Lithuania may send more than 20 soldiers to Mali next year, after receiving a request for assistance from France.

Defence Minister Juozas Olekas has signed an agreement in London, establishing the Joint Expeditionary Force. Defence Policy Director at the Ministry of National Defence Vaidotas Urbelis says that the seven states that signed the agreement share a similar view on security and will be able to decide ...

While on a formal visit in the United States, Lithuania's Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas met with US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter on 17 November in Washington, Lithuania's Ministry of National Defence reports.

On 9-15 November, fighter aircraft of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States performed one A-Scramble to intercept a foreign aircraft in international airspace above the Baltic Sea, the Ministry of National Defence reports.

On 10 November, defence ministers of NB8 (Nordic-Baltic Eight) countries approved Lithuania's and Sweden's proposals on strengthening Nordic-Baltic defence cooperation. Ministers agreed to enhance the cooperation in areas like hybrid warfare, cyber security, joint exercises and operations, updates a...

The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence has received two new governmental proposals to purchase infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) from the United States and Poland. As a result, the Ministry decided to carry out additional analysis and referred to companies which had submitted information earlier...

On 19-25 October, fighter jets conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states performed four scrambles to intercept aircraft flying in international airspace above the Baltic Sea, the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania said.

On October 21 at a session of the Land Combat Vehicles (LCV) Support Partnership of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in Luxembourg, Lithuania joined the PzH2000 self-propelled 155mm howitzer user project by a unanimous agreement of Croatia, Italy, Germany, Greece, and the Netherlands -...

Military personnel from Lithuania and other countries of the NATO Alliance taking part in NATO Exercise Trident Juncture 2015 have redeployed to Spain, set up military camps in San Gregorio and are beginning to train according to the exercise scenario, Lithuania's Ministry of National Defence said.

Defence ministers and army commanders of Belgium and Luxembourg are coming to Lithuania on Thursday to observe the international military exercise Baltic Piranha.

On 20 October in Vilnius, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Andrius Krivas, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defence met with a group of experts from the Influential US think tank Atlantic Council, led by Magnus Nordenman, to discuss current cha...

Draft National Defence System Budget 2016-2018 has been submitted for consideration by the Lithuanian Parliament. With an aim to implement the strategic priorities of the activities of the National Defence System for the nearest future, the demand for defence appropriations for 2016 is EUR 574.0 mil...

Logistics and movement control specialists of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and Mobile Refuelling Unit will provide logistical support to Lithuanian and allied troops taking part in NATO's Exercise Trident Juncture 2015 in Spain until 6 November, the Ministry of National Defence reports.

Lithuanian soldiers assigned to various units of the Lithuanian Land Force take part in a spectrum of multinational training events and military competitions in Germany, Latvia, Spain and the United Kingdom, the Ministry of National Defence reports.

The second of three new helicopters Eurocopter Dauphin arrived in Zokniai Airbase near Šiauliai on Friday. It will be used by the Lithuanian military for search and rescue operations.

On 15 October, Colonel Darius Užkuraitis and Dan Ohllsson, on behalf of defence ministries of Lithuania and Sweden, respectively, signed an agreement on cooperation in defence procurement, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence reports.

On 13-14 October, NATO defence planning experts conducted a visit in Lithuania to assess the status quo of Lithuania's defence capabilities and prospective defence reforms. NATO experts were particularly interested in the steps Lithuania made to respond to changing security situation in the region, ...