VILNIUS, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The Lithuanian government has approved a measure allowing the purchase of certain defense technologies without public tender, the Baltic News Service (BNS) reported Wednesday.
Under a resolution drafted by the defense ministry and approved by the cabinet, exemptions have been granted from the law on public procurement in the fields of defense and security. The move clears the way for direct procurement of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), counter-drone systems, optical surveillance equipment, and laser target designators.
According to the ministry, counter-drone systems from NT Service will be procured for up to 12 million euros (13.68 million U.S. dollars). An additional 9 million euros will fund the acquisition of optical surveillance devices from Brolis Semiconductors, while laser target designators from Aktyvus Photonics will be purchased for up to 1.5 million euros.
The ministry did not disclose specific manufacturers for the UAV acquisitions but said up to 19 million euros will be spent on a variety of drones, including first-person view (FPV) drones, reconnaissance drones, and others intended for military use.
The UAVs will be sourced from domestic companies that manufacture or assemble them in Lithuania, according to BNS. (1 euro = 1.14 U.S. dollar) ■
