The procurement of the medium-range anti-tank missile system includes 5 million U.S. dollars’ worth of financial support from Washington, the ministry said.
Citing “security reasons”, the ministry did not disclose the number of systems acquired by Lithuania.
“The Javelin anti-tank system procured from the U.S. is a particularly significant increase of the long-term combat capabilities of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and an enhancement of the effectiveness of deterrence,” Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis was quoted in a ministry statement.
The anti-tank missile system will be deployed by the country’s Land Forces as a supplement to the existing Javelin system.
In 2002, Lithuania was the first country to purchase Javelin systems from the U.S.
Javelin is a portable anti-tank missile system capable of destroying targets at a range of up to 2.5 kilometers.
Since 2014, Lithuania, a small Baltic state with a population of less than 3 million and the eastern-flank North Atlantic Treaty Organization member country, has been stepping up its defense capabilities.