Lithuania to Acquire Nearly 30 Additional Vilkas IFVs

The Lithuanian government has allocated an additional €187.7 million in borrowed funds for the purchase of priority military equipment, the Ministry of Defense reported.

The funds will be used for advance payments on new Vilkas infantry fighting vehicles and NASAMS air defense systems.

This funding ensures earlier delivery of the military equipment most needed by the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

“In this case, that includes 27 additional Vilkas combat vehicles, scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2029, as well as NASAMS air defense systems expected in 2028,” Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė shared.

Deputy Finance Minister Darius Sadeckas noted that Lithuania raised its borrowing limit by €800 million in 2023, allowing for additional defense-related allocations as needed.

“This allocation is the first to be financed under the increased borrowing limit,” Sadeckas noted. “It enables us to meet contractual obligations on time, ensuring critical military equipment arrives as scheduled.”

In the second quarter, Lithuania plans to make an advance payment of €150 million for the new Vilkas vehicles and €37.7 million for NASAMS medium-range air defense systems intended for the National Infantry Division.

The Law on the Approval of the Budget for 2025–2027 allows the Ministry of Finance to borrow funds for national defense and dual-use transport infrastructure, as well as investments in the defense industry.

Vilkas

The Vilkas, a version of the Boxer armored vehicle tailored for Lithuania, is equipped with a Samson Mk2 turret from Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. It features a 30mm MK-44S automatic cannon, a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, and two Spike LR anti-tank guided missiles.

The Vilkas retains the Boxer’s mobility features, powered by a 720-horsepower MTU 8V199 TE20 diesel engine and an Allison HD4070 automatic transmission with seven forward and three reverse gears. The vehicle can reach a top speed of 105 km/h and has an operational range of up to 1,000 kilometers.

Armor protection includes a steel hull and modular composite armor mounted on rubber shock absorbers. The interior is lined with Kevlar to reduce injury risk from secondary fragmentation.

The armor offers protection against medium-caliber fire and artillery shell fragments. The vehicle also features mine protection capable of withstanding blasts of up to eight kilograms of TNT.

At the end of 2023, Lithuania received the final units of its original order of 89 Vilkas combat vehicles.