Lithuania aims to have integrated airspace detection system partially operational by 2027

Lithuania expects to have at least part of an integrated airspace detection system operational by the end of 2027, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Monday, following a drone incursion that ended with an explosion in the country’s north.

“Once everything is integrated into a single system, I hope that by late 2027 we will have at least a partial, seamless system,” Kaunas said. He cautioned that progress would depend on how quickly companies could develop the necessary software and connect existing equipment.

The remarks followed Sunday’s incident, when a drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Poland and crashed in the village of Juodžioniai in the Pasvalys district. An explosion damaged a civilian car, but no injuries were reported. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said the drone was Ukrainian and carried explosives.

Sinkevičius said in August that he hoped a fully integrated detection system would be in place by 2030. Kaunas said the government was working to accelerate that timeline, although equipment deliveries could take one to two years because of demand from other countries.

A state procurement tender has been launched to develop software that would connect different systems used to detect airborne objects. Nineteen Lithuanian companies have submitted proposals, Kaunas said, adding that authorities would analyse them in the coming days and select those best suited to the country’s needs.

The system is expected to combine radar data with information from acoustic sensors deployed along the border, as well as cameras operated by residents and border guards.

Kaunas said the main problem was that existing detection tools operated separately, limiting the ability to interpret potential threats.

“Everything needs to be merged into one system,” he said, explaining that radar can identify an object’s speed, altitude and direction but does not provide other information needed to assess the situation.

Reports from residents who hear unusual sounds could also help identify potential threats, he added.

The Defence Ministry said in September that developing a short-range air defence system was one of Lithuania’s key ongoing projects, with an estimated cost of up to 1 billion euros. The three Baltic states would need about 2 billion euros combined, the ministry said.

Lithuania plans to allocate 2.03 billion euros between 2026 and 2030 to develop airspace surveillance, air defence and electronic warfare capabilities.

The Baltic states have also asked the European Commission for additional European Union funding to address urgent air defence needs.