The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved a proposal to bypass standard public procurement procedures for the purchase of a pilot batch of non-lethal interceptor drones from a US manufacturer.
Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said that the Defence Materiel Agency intends to acquire the Merops AS-3 Surveyor system (AS3/MEROPS) from US-based Perennial Autonomy.
The package includes 48 interceptor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) without warheads – 24 units equipped with thermal seekers and training parachutes, and 24 units with radio-frequency seekers and training parachutes – alongside training and radar integration services.
The ministry said that without this exemption, a public tender would be required. While a tender might result in a more economically advantageous offer, Kaunas said it would fail to protect essential national security interests and objectives.
The ministry said the AS3/MEROPS system has been tested in Ukraine under real combat conditions and is currently being used on the battlefield.
"Other economic entities could not offer analogous interceptor drone systems of comparable quality that have not only been successfully tested but are also being used in Ukraine under climatic conditions similar to those in Lithuania," the document submitted to the government stated.
It further noted that other manufacturers currently offer only entry-level products.
According to the ministry, the acquisition of the AS3/MEROPS pilot batch will allow for a rapid assessment of the effectiveness of this new type of air defence.
Kaunas also said only a pilot batch is being purchased to evaluate how the technology integrates into Lithuania's overall airspace defence system.
The system combines radars, optical sensors, artificial intelligence and interceptor drones to detect and neutralise threats before they reach protected areas.
The ministry justified the decision by the urgent need to strengthen anti-drone capabilities following recent incidents involving Russian and Ukrainian drones entering Lithuanian airspace, as well as smuggling balloons posing a threat to aviation safety.
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