Lithuania begins NASAMS testing

The Lithuanian Air Force has commenced testing of the NASAMS medium-range air defence system, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence announced on 3 October.

Lithuania signed the contract with Kongsberg to acquire NASAMS in October 2017. The €110 million contract includes two air defence batteries and a logistical maintenance package, as well as training for operators and maintenance personnel.

The testing will see components of the weapon system - missile launchers, radars, electro-optical sensors, components of integration with the RBS 70 short-range air defence systems, communication and control components, and vehicles - tested at the production facility, then put to field trials in Lithuania. The trials will assess technical and tactical conformity of NASAMS components to the determined weaponry specification.

The testing will run until February 2020, with the system planned to be officially delivered by the end of 2020.

The system procured by Lithuania includes ex-Norwegian armed forces launchers that have been upgraded to manufacturer parameters. The systems procured from Norway use US-made AMRAAM aircraft defence missiles capable of destroying aircraft and missiles of an adversary several tens of kilometres away.

The equipment will be fully integrated into a system capable of completing air defence tasks: monitor and control air space, issue warning to ground-based units about air threats, and to destroy targets if necessary.