In a significant bolster to Ukraine’s defensive capabilities amid ongoing conflict, Lithuania has committed to transferring six AMBER-1800 radar systems to Ukrainian forces. This move comes as part of the “Immediate Action for Air Defense” initiative spearheaded by Germany, designed to enhance Ukraine’s air defense systems in response to increased aerial threats.
The announcement was made following a meeting in Berlin between Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurinas Kasciunas and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius.
“The related delivery of six AMBER 1800 radar systems is Lithuania’s contribution to saving lives in Ukraine. Thank you for your participation in our air defence initiative,” Pistorius said. He generally praised Lithuania’s strong support for Ukraine in its fight against Putin’s brutal war of aggression, calling the Baltic country’s contribution “unusually high”.
The AMBER-1800 radar systems, developed by the Lithuanian company Altimus-tech (formerly LiTak-Tak), are ground-based mobile radar units capable of detecting air targets and determining their coordinates with a range of approximately 350 kilometers, although they have a maximum detection range of up to 400 kilometers depending on various operational parameters.
The German-led “Immediate Action on Air Defense” initiative is a collaborative defense strategy that has seen countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands discuss financial support for IAAD, along with several other partners examining the potential provision of systems or resources.
While Germany has faced criticism for refraining from supplying Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, it has alternatively committed to an increase in the provision of air defense systems, including orders for new Patriot surface-to-air missile systems and pledges of a third Patriot system, as well as the IRIS-T systems, Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, and artillery ammunition.
Last month, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis echoed the urgency of providing Ukraine with air defense assets. “The West’s fear of escalating the situation by providing Ukraine with air defense equipment will allow Russia to take advantage of such fluctuations in its favor,” Landsbergis warned.
Relevant articles:
– Lithuania to transfer six AMBER-1800 radar systems to Ukraine as part of German-led initiative , Euromaidan Press, 05/19/2024
– Lithuania hands over six AMBER 1800 radar systems to Ukraine, Ukrinform, 05/17/2024
– Lithuania will transfer Amber-1800 radars to Ukraine, Militarnyi, 05/17/2024
– Lithuania to provide Ukraine with six AMBER-1800 radar systems, Yahoo! Voices, 05/18/2024
– Ukraine to receive six advanced radars from Lithuania, Yahoo! Voices, 05/17/2024
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