Lithuania procures Piorun MANPADS, Switchblade 600 LM
The Norwegian Armed Forces conducting their first Piorun live firing in August 2024. (Norwegian Armed Forces/Torbjørn Kjosvold)
Lithuania has finalised an agreement with Poland on the Baltic state's procurement of the Piorun manportable air defence system (MANPADS) and has received its first batch of AeroVironment Switchblade 600 (SB600) loitering munition (LM), the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) has announced.
The Piorun procurement was discussed during a meeting between Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in Warsaw on 12 October 2026, the Lithuanian MND said on its website the next day.
Kaunas also spoke of the requirement for the acquisition of a large number of mines.
His ministry announced on its website on 7 October that the first batch of SB600 LM had reached the Lithuanian Armed Forces' warehouses.
Kaunas said, “The Switchblade 600 brings a new quality of strike capacity to the Lithuanian Armed Forces. This equipment enables military personnel to destroy armoured equipment of hostile forces with precision and speed from a safe distance. Every procurement like this enhances deterrence and security of Lithuania. It stands as a clear testament to the Lithuanian-US partnership.”
Along with SB600 LM, Lithuania is acquiring launch and control equipment, a simulator to train personnel, and a maintenance package from the US.
The Lithuanian MND noted that SB600 can remain in the air for up to 40 minutes and has an anti-tank warhead that allows it to destroy heavy armoured vehicles, including tanks, in top-down attacks. AeroVironment gives a range of over 40 km for the 29.5 kg SB600.
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