Swedish company Saab Dynamics has delivered Bolide missiles for Lithuania’s RBS-70 aircraft defense system.
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence, which confirmed receiving the weapons system on Friday, said the Bolide-type missiles, valued at around $16.2 million, will improve the country’s air defense efficiency.
The system boasts easy maintenance, mobility and resilience to electromagnetic jamming, it added.
It will be deployed for use on the Lithuanian Armed Forces Air Defence Battalion’s RBS-70 short-range man-portable missile air defense system.
The missile deal, signed with Saab in 2022, is part of the Lithuanian military’s $1.09 billion modernization program, which seeks to integrate lessons learned from the Ukrainian conflict.
The Saab missile delivery comes as Lithuania announced its plans in late May to procure IRIS-T medium-range missiles during a meeting between Laurynas Kasciunas, the country’s defense chief, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
In a statement, Kasciunas noted that the missiles have been proven effective in Ukraine and could soon become part of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.