VILNIUS - The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense (MoND) has begun its long-term mechanization program aimed at modernizing and increasing the firepower of the Lithuanian Land Force. The MoND issued formal requests for information (RfI) to nine foreign producers of wheeled infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) on July 17 and expects responses from willing vendors by mid-October. The MoND hopes to ink a production contract in 2015, thus launching a crucial part of the long-term National Defense System Development Program 2014-2023 approved by the Lithuanian legislature (Seimas). Under the development programs first phase two battalions of the Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Iron Wolf) are to be outfitted with modern IFVs by 2020, thus the procurement project aims at meeting this goal.
Currently the Lithuanian Land Force operates the M113 armored personnel carrier, some 67 of which were provided by Germany second-hand in 2000. These serve primarily as troop transports and lack the firepower, maneuverability and force protection of modern IFVs.
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