Lithuania Allocates €3 Million for Development of Technologies to Counter Weather Balloons

The Baltic States continue to utilize their military budgets. Lithuania has allocated €3 million for the development of air defense systems capable of countering balloons. Previously, €1 million had already been spent on this objective, yet none of the solutions proposed by developers proved suitable.

The Commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces urged the public to be patient, noting that the army's capabilities for countering drones are not advancing as quickly as desired.

Plans are now in place to develop interceptor drone prototypes, with a trial batch expected by early 2027. Vilnius is increasing military spending despite rising costs associated with servicing the national debt; experts warn that these costs will exceed €1 billion for the first time next year.