Lithuanian Military Chief Warns of Air Defense Weaknesses
Lithuania’s defense chief admits NATO air defenses struggle with drones. Lack of mobile systems and cost imbalance leave gaps against rising UAV threats.
Lithuania’s air defense still has critical blind spots, according to the country’s Chief of Defense, General Raimundas Vaikšnoras.
He explained that when unidentified objects appear in the sky, the first step is to alert the public, and only afterwards is a decision made on whether to destroy them. Lithuania, he noted, lacks mobile anti-aircraft systems capable of effectively countering drones.
The general admitted that Western allies as a whole have not adapted as quickly as Ukraine and acknowledged existing gaps in their defenses. Although contingency plans exist, the process of strengthening air defense is moving too slowly.
Vaikšnoras stressed that there is no universal solution at the moment, which leaves Western countries reliant on conventional weapons systems already in service.
Earlier, Bloomberg highlighted NATO’s growing struggle against drones, pointing out a key imbalance: expensive air defense systems are often used against drones that can be produced cheaply and in large numbers.