WARSAW - The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense is set to order the medium-range Network Centric Air Defense System, or NASAMS, to equip two military units. The estimated €100 million ($112 million) acquisition will see Lithuania become the fifth operator of the system in Europe alongside Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain.
Developed by Norway's Kongsberg in tandem with American company Raytheon, the NASAMS is capable of targeting multiple airborne objects ranging from drones to aircraft to missiles and can manage up to 72 multiple engagements.
Lithuania's Defense Ministry opened negotiations with the Norwegian government in mid-2015 regarding the possible purchase of the NASAMS and a contract is now close to fruition. The acquisition will be a first step taken by the trio of Baltic nations - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - towards adding a medium-range air-defense system. However, this step will be a unilateral one rather than a joint purchase - although such a system may eventually be shared by the three nations with the other two partners chipping in on training, maintenance and operational costs.