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Lithuania to strengthen air defense with Swedish simulators

Xinhua, December 13, 2016 Adjust font size:

Lithuania is to purchase Swedish air defense simulators, spare parts and training services, announced the country's defense ministry on Monday.

The Baltic state will purchase simulators for RBS70 air defense systems, training services and spare parts from Swedish company SAAB Dynamics, announced the defense ministry. The size of the contract is 5.8 million euros(6.15 million U.S. dollars).

Military officials say the simulators would reduce the training costs and maintain "high level of soldier's combat readiness".

RBS70 short-range air defense systems have already been in service at Lithuanian armed forces.

"In 2015 we have received upgraded launchers and missiles and current contract with SAAB Dynamics will provide our soldiers with advanced simulators," the deputy director of the ministry's weaponry and control systems department, Colonel Lieutenant Jurijus Gvozdas, was quoted as saying in a press release.

The country's fourth generation RBS70 systems can destroy any type of aircraft at the distance of eight km and the altitude of five km with Bolide missiles, claimed the defense ministry.

The contract with SAAB Dynamics is the latest in the series of investments Lithuania has made in recent years to step up its air defense capabilities.

Late September, the country's defense ministry announced the plans to spend more than 100 million euros on Norwegian and American mid-range air defense systems NASAMS capable of hitting the targets at the distance of 40 km and the altitude of up to 14 km.

In 2014, Lithuania has upgraded its air defense with Polish made man-portable short-range air defense systems GROM.

The state has increased its defense capabilities since 2014. (1 euro = 1.06 U.S. dollars) Endit