The planned acquisition involves Vanguard-class modular ships that can be adapted for various missions, with decisions expected by the end of the year. “Our fleet is small, so the ships need to be versatile enough to be able to perform different missions,” Šakalienė explained, highlighting the need for platforms tailored to Lithuania’s needs and aligned with allied cooperation.
Šakalienė emphasised that the decision “will significantly strengthen our military capabilities, as well as enable our defence industry to cooperate effectively in the context of industrial cooperation”. She also noted the potential for domestic industry involvement, saying, “If a large part of the components could be produced in Lithuania, except, of course, for weapon systems, it would certainly allow our domestic industry to get involved and we would benefit a lot.”
Lithuania intends to standardise with Norway’s ship models to prevent future logistical challenges. “To avoid situations again where we buy one non-standardised model of some military equipment and then we have a lot of long-term problems with logistics, supply, repairs and so on,” Šakalienė explained, adding that a decision from Norway is expected by the end of the year.
The ministers also reviewed progress on the NASAMS air defence system, previously agreed with Norway and contracted through Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace. “We are going smoothly through all three phases. Next year, we should receive the second delivery of NASAMS air defence systems and then the third in 2028,” Šakalienė confirmed.
Norway’s Defence Minister Sandvik expressed Oslo’s commitment to increased responsibility for regional security, including the Baltic Air Policing mission. “A large part of our increased spending will go to investments in systems, like frigates, submarines, vessels, helicopters, main battle tanks, and weapons,” he said.
On Baltic air defence, Sandvik noted discussions with Nordic partners, referencing the operational status of Norway’s F-35 fleet. “I will have a talk with my Nordic colleagues about it because we have now, I think, 250 fighter jets altogether, and we need to coordinate our air policing strategy,” he added.
Last week, Lithuania, Norway, and eight other European nations signed a memorandum to strengthen the protection of critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The agreement focuses on enhancing cooperation in securing seabed cables and pipelines, safeguarding supply chains, improving underwater monitoring, and boosting rapid repair capabilities.
