The programme identifies the priorities and directions of the National Defence System development centering in particular on the Lithuanian Armed Forces. It also covers measures focused cooperation with other armed services institutions, strengthening the public resilience and development of cyber capabilities.
The programme update reflects the new quality introductions through the Lithuanian Armed Forces enhancement, identifies capability development need and directions. The changes stem from the top-level decisions on the national division establishment in their own right stemming from the Concept of Armed Defence of State update.
Infrastructure development is prioritized as a means of strengthening the security and defence potential of Lithuania. It includes infrastructure for the NATO brigade deployment in Lithuania and Host Nation Support, expansion of the existing military training areas and the reconstructed Rūdninkai Training Area of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, development of a new maneuver area for a brigade-sized unit, infrastructure of weaponry servicing and ammunition storage and for ensuring and improving service conditions for military personnel.
The programme is set to be implemented in 2024-2030, while national defence spending is calculated in at 3% of GDP or more as of 2025, including the additional assignations for infrastructure for the German brigade and the national division development.
The programme document drafted by the Ministry of National Defence comes into force instead of the National Defence System Development Programme approved at the Parliament in 2006, last updated in 2018. Different variants of the National Defence System Development and Enhancement Programme have been considered, it has been supplemented by defence experts and defence industry representatives bearing in mind the National Security Strategy and Concept of the Armed State Defence amendments, the agreement of the parliamentary political parties on strengthening the Lithuanian national security and defence in the near term, and the National Defence Plan approved at the State Defence Council, as well as the fact that many of the previous programme points (valid 2018-2019) have been already implemented.
