Lithuania to buy up to 168 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles for NASAMS air defence systems, strengthening NATO's air defence capabilities with a deal valued at up to $214 million.

Military & Paramilitary OperationsHigh-Tech Military ToolsCruise / ballistic missiles

Defense

Summary

Lithuania plans to purchase additional AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles compatible with NASAMS air defence systems. The deal, approved by the US State Department, is valued at up to 214 million dollars (approximately 183 million euros) and includes training missiles, engineering, technical, and logistical support. Lithuania will receive a total of 168 missiles combining this purchase with a previous one worth 19.5 million dollars. The missiles are designed to destroy drones, helicopters, aircraft, and other aerial threats. The deal aims to strengthen Lithuania's and NATO's air defence capabilities and stability in Europe. The missiles will integrate with the Norwegian-made NASAMS medium-range air defence system, currently in use with one operational battery in Lithuania, a second battery being integrated, and a third planned for 2028. Lithuania is allocating 4.8 billion euros (5.38% of GDP) for defense in 2025.

Classification

Confidence: Medium

The signal reports a defensive military procurement by Lithuania to strengthen air defense systems, with clear US approval and NATO alignment. There is no indication of offensive or hostile action.

Source URL

https://lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2907372/lithuania-to-buy-aim-9x-missiles-for-nasams-systems

Open source

Provenance

Publisher: extension
Submitted: Jun 22, 2026, 12:58 UTC
Last updated: Nov 9, 2026, 06:58 UTC
Event time: Apr 23, 2026, 17:24 UTC

Published as a Defense Preparations signal with a public source and reviewer-approved assessment bands. See the methodology for how records are assessed.

Raw record

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  "id": "6c724841-c973-4330-835a-b6d43f5ae9d8",
  "url": "https://lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2907372/lithuania-to-buy-aim-9x-missiles-for-nasams-systems",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Military & Paramilitary Operations",
  "subcategory": "High-Tech Military Tools",
  "incident_type": "Cruise / ballistic missiles",
  "country": "Lithuania",
  "source_reliability": "C",
  "info_credibility": "3",
  "tags": [
    "AIM-9X",
    "NASAMS",
    "air defense",
    "Lithuania",
    "NATO",
    "US State Department",
    "RTX Corporation",
    "Military Acquisition",
    "Missiles",
    "Defense Budget"
  ],
  "nodes": [],
  "countries": [
    "Lithuania"
  ],
  "where_text": "Land",
  "headline": null,
  "description": "Lithuania plans to purchase additional AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles compatible with NASAMS air defence systems. The deal, approved by the US State Department, is valued at up to 214 million dollars (approximately 183 million euros) and includes training missiles, engineering, technical, and logistical support. Lithuania will receive a total of 168 missiles combining this purchase with a previous one worth 19.5 million dollars. The missiles are designed to destroy drones, helicopters, aircraft, and other aerial threats. The deal aims to strengthen Lithuania's and NATO's air defence capabilities and stability in Europe. The missiles will integrate with the Norwegian-made NASAMS medium-range air defence system, currently in use with one operational battery in Lithuania, a second battery being integrated, and a third planned for 2028. Lithuania is allocating 4.8 billion euros (5.38% of GDP) for defense in 2025.",
  "summary_short": "Lithuania to buy up to 168 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles for NASAMS air defence systems, strengthening NATO's air defence capabilities with a deal valued at up to $214 million.",
  "summary_extended": null,
  "actor_primary": "Lithuanian Defence Ministry",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "Lithuania",
  "location_region": null,
  "location_coordinates_lat": null,
  "location_coordinates_lon": null,
  "location_precision": "Regional",
  "is_aggressor_signal": false,
  "signal_type": "DEFENSE_PREP_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": false,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "Medium",
  "classification_rationale": "The signal reports a defensive military procurement by Lithuania to strengthen air defense systems, with clear US approval and NATO alignment. There is no indication of offensive or hostile action.",
  "event_time_utc": "2026-04-23T17:24:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "pm24h",
  "created_at": "2026-06-22T12:58:01.072Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T06:58:21.434Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "regional",
  "time_precision_band": "within_24h",
  "severity_band": "moderate",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}

Public assessmentReliability: StrongSeverity: ModerateAttribution: HighSingle sourceTime: Same dayLocation: Regional

Source reliability

Info credibility

Event time

Apr 23, 2026, 17:24 UTC

Event time confidence

pm24h

Location

Lithuania

Primary actor

Lithuanian Defence Ministry

Country

Lithuania

Countries

Lithuania

Tags

AIM-9X, NASAMS, air defense, Lithuania, NATO, US State Department, RTX Corporation, Military Acquisition, Missiles, Defense Budget

Loading signal...

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