Lithuania will purchase 936 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) produced by Finnish defence company Patria as part of plans to build a national division, President Gitanas Nausėda announced.
The decision was approved at a meeting of the State Defence Council, according to LRT.
“This is a very important element in the creation of the national division — we will purchase 936 Patria armoured vehicles manufactured in Finland,” Nausėda said.
He added that Lithuania plans to acquire around 300 vehicles by 2030 as part of a phased procurement programme. The country also intends to integrate into the production chain, with part of the assembly to be carried out domestically.
The armoured vehicles are expected to be combined with short-range mobile air defence systems (MSHORAD) to strengthen Lithuania’s air defence capabilities. The total value of the procurement is estimated at approximately €1.5 billion.