WARSAW, Poland — Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence has unveiled plans to spend some €3.1 billion ($3.4 billion) to buy ammunition and explosives in the coming decade, citing lessons drawn from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Vilnius is also advancing its project to order 120 Boxer infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) in a deal that could more than double its military’s modern armored vehicle fleet.
In a statement released by his ministry, Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said that developing the military’s stockpile is one of the key priorities for the coming years.
The plan is embedded in a wide-ranging modernization push for the country’s military, including the acquisition of the NASAMS mid-range air defense system, HIMARS High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, Vilkas Infantry Fighting Vehicles, JLTV Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, PzH2000 and Ceasar howitzers, tactical drones, and other capabilities, according to the ministry.
In 2016, Vilnius awarded a deal for 88 IFVs to the German-Dutch Artec consortium formed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Rheinmetall Landsysteme and Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V. The acquisition was worth some €385.6 million. Vilnius ordered its Boxer vehicles in the Vilkas (Wolf) variant.
“We are completing the first phase of our Boxer armored fighting vehicle Vilkas acquisition. The last 23 vehicles purchased for the Lithuanian Army will arrive in Lithuania this summer,” the ministry said in a tweet. “Most of our Boxers are already in Lithuania.”
The contract for 120 new vehicles could be signed this fall, according to the ministry.
Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.
