Força Aérea Lituana

Ordem de batalha · Lithuania

Força Aérea Lituana

Karinės oro pajėgos

The Lithuanian Air Force (Karinės oro pajėgos) dates its lineage to 12 March 1919, built its own ANBO aircraft between the wars and was liquidated by the Soviet occupiers in 1940; restored in 1992 with a single An-2, it has never owned a supersonic fighter, and instead hosts NATO’s Baltic Air Policing at Šiauliai — since 29 March 2004 — while it flies transports and rescue helicopters and builds up a NASAMS air defence.

Marcação nacionalThe Cross of Vytis, a white double cross with a black band inside its border, carried by the restored air force since its first flight on 12 June 1992
0Aeronaves de combate
3Bases aéreas ativas
1919Fundada
16Tipos aposentados
Photo: GiW / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
PaísLituâniaFundada1919StatusAtivoSedeKaunasComandanteAntanas Matutis
A história

The Lithuanian Air Force story: ANBO aircraft, the liquidation of 1940 and NATO’s fighters at Šiauliai

1919–1932: an air arm made from booty, purchases and home designs

Lithuanian military flying began in the middle of the wars of independence. On 30 January 1919 an engineering company with an aviation unit was formed under Konstantinas Fugalevičius, and on 12 March 1919 it became an independent Aviation Division — the date the service still keeps as its founding day. Eight LVG C.VI reconnaissance aircraft bought in Germany arrived on 27 February 1919; others were taken as booty and repaired in the army’s own workshops. The first Air Squadron was formed on 22 September 1920 under Lieutenant Jurgis Dobkevičius. The price was paid early: Vytautas Rauba died in a crash on 12 May 1920, and in October 1920, during Żeligowski’s seizure of Vilnius, Juozas Kumpis, commander of the First Air Squadron, was shot down and died a prisoner of the Poles. Dobkevičius himself, Lithuania’s first aircraft designer, was killed testing his Dobi III on 8 June 1926.

1933–1941: Lituanica, the ANBO tour and the liquidation

What made the small interwar air arm remarkable was that it designed its own aircraft. Antanas Gustaitis flew his self-funded ANBO-I in Kaunas on 14 July 1925; the series grew to nine types and, by the count of the specialist site Plieno sparnai, 66 aircraft. In 1934 three ANBO IVs under Gustaitis flew a 10,000-kilometre tour of European capitals. The national story of those years, though, is civil: on 15–17 July 1933 Steponas Darius, an air force captain, and Stasys Girėnas flew the Bellanca Lituanica 6,411 kilometres from New York in 37 hours 11 minutes, and died when it crashed at Soldin in Germany, 636 kilometres short of Kaunas. By mid-1940 the service had 117 aircraft, including Gloster Gladiators and Dewoitine D.501s bought in 1937. It never fought for Lithuania: after the Soviet occupation Gustaitis was made to chair the liquidation commission on 27 August 1940, and in October 1941 he was shot in Moscow.

1992–2004: starting again with an An-2 and four L-39s

The restored state began with almost nothing. The Aviation Service of the National Defence Service was re-established on 2 January 1992, airspace surveillance began on 27 April 1992, and on 12 June 1992 an An-2 marked with the double cross of Vytis took off from Barysiai — the day the Aviation Base still marks as its birthday. Germany donated two L-410 transports in 1992; four L-39C jet trainers came from Kyrgyzstan in February 1993, and on 1 March 1993 the service took the name Air Force. A second air base at Pajuostis near Panevėžys operated from 1993 to 2007, according to Wikipedia, and between 1995 and 1999 the main base moved to Zokniai, the old Soviet bomber field outside Šiauliai. The government gave the air force the national search and rescue task on 24 January 1996, and the three Baltic states agreed on 16 April 1998 to build a joint air surveillance network, BALTNET, coordinated from Karmėlava from 6 June 2000.

2004 to today: a country whose fighters are borrowed

The central fact about Lithuanian air power is that its fighters belong to other countries. Lithuania joined NATO on 29 March 2004, and at 16:47 that day Belgian F-16s landed at Šiauliai to begin the Baltic Air Policing mission; the Belgian commander later recalled that it was a bare base they had a few days to build. By its 20th anniversary in March 2024 the mission had reached its 64th rotation, with 17 allied nations having deployed, and Ämari in Estonia had been added in 2014. Lithuania’s own L-39ZAs took on national air policing tasks from 23 July 2004 The arrangement is cheap for Lithuania and has worked for two decades; the weakness is obvious — the country’s airspace depends on allied rotations, and until the 2020s its only answer on the ground was short-range missiles.

Transports, rescue and the end of the Soviet types

The air force’s own fleet has been built around transport and rescue. Three C-27J Spartans, ordered from Alenia Aeronautica on 23 June 2006 for about €75 million, arrived on 22 December 2006, 6 December 2008 and 12 October 2009 and carry the names Gediminas, Algirdas and Vytautas; a support contract with Leonardo followed on 18 December 2024. Three AS365N3+ Dauphin rescue helicopters, the first landing on 2 June 2015, stand alert with posts at Kaunas and Nemirsetė. The Soviet-built types have gone one by one: the Mi-8s are being replaced by four UH-60M Black Hawks ordered in November 2020, which the defence minister of the day called the end of the last Soviet relic aircraft, and the last L-39ZA was handed to Ukraine on 20 April 2024. The honest criticism is that pilot training on jets ended with the L-39, and no replacement has been announced on the official pages checked.

Air defence and money, 2022–2026: what changed and what is still missing

The money changed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The ministry spent €3,397.8 million on defence in 2025, 4.04 per cent of GDP, and the 2026 budget of €4,814.2 million is 5.37 per cent of GDP, a 41 per cent rise that the ministry calls the largest in the history of independent Lithuania and the highest share in NATO. Much of it goes to air defence: NASAMS, in service with the Air Defence Battalion at Radviliškis since 2020 per Wikipedia, was expanded under a €234 million contract of 3 October 2024, backed by RBS 70 NG, Piorun and new AIM-9X Sidewinders. In June 2025 the ministry opened talks on the Embraer C-390, and in July 2026 Lithuania joined NATO’s GlobalEye purchase to replace the AWACS. What is still missing is a fighter: in 2026 NATO itself was turning Baltic Air Policing into an air defence mission, with Italian Typhoons at Šiauliai from 31 July.

What made the small interwar air arm remarkable was that it designed its own aircraft. Antanas Gustaitis flew his self-funded ANBO-I in Kaunas on 14 July 1925; the series grew to nine types and, by the count of the specialist site Plieno sparnai, 66 aircraft.Lithuanian Air Force · verified 2026-09-29

À primeira vista

The Lithuanian Air Force in numbers

Serviço

Nome nativo
Karinės oro pajėgosThe name the Lithuanian Armed Forces use on kariuomene.lt; the abbreviation KOP appears in the service’s own chronicle. English Wikipedia gives the longer form Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos
Fundada
12 March 1919The Aviation Division became an independent unit on 12 March 1919. The modern service counts its restoration from 2 January 1992, when the Aviation Service was re-established; Wikipedia’s infobox gives 2 January 1991 and its text dates the Aviation Base staff order to 23 January 1992
Parte de
Lithuanian Armed ForcesOne of the armed forces’ services, alongside the Land Forces and the Navy, under the Chief of Defence
Sede
KaunasThe air force page places the headquarters in Kaunas, with centres at Karmėlava; the contact address given is the armed forces’ Šv. Ignoto g. 8 in Vilnius
Comandante
Col. Antanas MatutisNamed on the official commander page; appointment date not published there
Ministro da Defesa Nacional
Robertas KaunasTook office on 11 November 2025, succeeding Dovilė Šakalienė

Força

Pessoal
About 1,500Wikipedia’s figure; the official pages checked give no total
Aeronaves de combate
NenhumLithuania has never operated supersonic fighters since 1992. NATO allies police its airspace from Šiauliai; the last armed jet, the L-39ZA, was retired and the final example handed to Ukraine on 20 April 2024
Aeronave de transporte
  • C-27J Spartan — 3
  • L-410 UVP Turbolet — 2

All with the Aviation Base at Šiauliai. The C-27Js arrived between 2006 and 2009; the L-410s were a German gift in 1992

Helicópteros
  • AS365N3+ Dauphin — 3
  • UH-60M Black Hawk — 2 of 4 (Wikipedia)
  • Mi-8 — 1–2

The official aviation base page lists Dauphin and Mi-8T only. Wikipedia counts two UH-60Ms delivered of four ordered and one Mi-8MTV-1 left after two Mi-8s went to Ukraine; delivery dates were not found on official pages

defesa aérea terrestre
NASAMS, RBS 70 NG, Piorun and GROMWith the Air Defence Battalion at Radviliškis. A €234 million NASAMS contract was signed on 3 October 2024 and an RBS 70 NG contract of €130 million on 1 October 2024
Orçamento de defesa
€4,814.2 million (2026)5.37 per cent of GDP, up 41 per cent from €3,397.8 million (4.04 per cent) spent in 2025

Infraestrutura

Base aérea
  • Šiauliai (Zokniai) — Aviation Base and NATO air policing

Lithuania’s only military air base, shared with a civil airport

Search and rescue posts
  • Kaunas
  • Nemirsetė (Klaipėda district)

Detached posts of the Aviation Base

Closed or former air bases
  • Pajuostis (Panevėžys) — second air base 1993–2007
  • Barysiai — first flights in 1992
  • Kaunas (Aleksotas) — interwar main base

Pajuostis dates per Wikipedia

Allied fighters
NATO detachment at ŠiauliaiFour Italian Eurofighter Typhoons since 31 July 2026; 17 nations had deployed by March 2024. In 2026 NATO turned Baltic Air Policing into an air defence mission
Vigilância do espaço aéreo
Airspace Surveillance and Control DirectorateFormed 27 April 1992; the regional BALTNET centre at Karmėlava opened on 6 June 2000
Batalhão de Defesa Aérea
RadviliškisFormed 1 September 2000

Estrutura

How the Lithuanian Air Force is organised

A headquarters in Kaunas over the Aviation Base at Šiauliai, airspace surveillance and control at Karmėlava and the Air Defence Battalion at Radviliškis. Lithuania has never owned a supersonic fighter: the jets on alert at Šiauliai belong to the allies of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing, since 31 July 2026 four Italian Typhoons. The Aviation Base flies transports and rescue helicopters, with rescue posts at Kaunas and Nemirsetė.

SOU

Colonel (pulkininkas)Antanas MatutisCommander of the Lithuanian Air Force (Karinių oro pajėgų vadas)
Quartel-General da Força Aérea
Sede

Quartel-General da Força Aérea

Kaunas

In Kaunas, with centres at Karmėlava; one of the three services of the Lithuanian Armed Forces under the Chief of Defence. Col. Antanas Matutis is named as commander on the official page, which gives no appointment date.

Flying

Aviation Base

Aviacijos bazė
Šiauliai

The air force’s flying unit, founded in 1992 and at Zokniai since 1995–1999: three C-27J Spartans, two L-410s, three AS365N3+ Dauphins, Mi-8s and UH-60M Black Hawks for transport and search and rescue, with rescue posts at Kaunas and Nemirsetė. It hosts NATO’s air policing detachment; the last Lithuanian jet, an L-39ZA, went to Ukraine on 20 April 2024.

Vigilância aérea

Airspace Surveillance and Control Directorate

Karmėlava

Airspace surveillance began on 27 April 1992; the regional BALTNET centre at Karmėlava opened on 6 June 2000.

Defesa aérea

Batalhão de Defesa Aérea

Radviliškis

Formed on 1 September 2000; NASAMS, RBS 70 NG, Piorun and GROM. Contracts for RBS 70 NG (€130 million) and more NASAMS (€234 million) were signed in October 2024, and AIM-9X Sidewinders for NASAMS were approved in April 2026.


Em serviço

What the Lithuanian Air Force flies today

Cada tipo de cobrança, com link para sua página no Livro das Feras, quando houver. Os números indicam as aeronaves registradas, não as aeronaves disponíveis em um determinado dia.

Tipo Papel Em serviço Desde Unidades Notas
Leonardo (Alenia) C-27J EspartanoEm serviço Transporte tático 3 2006 Three bought under a contract of 23 June 2006; all in service.
Let L-410 UVP TurboletEm serviço Light transport and utility 2 1992 Two, built in 1982.
Airbus Helicopters (Eurocopter) AS365N3+ DauphinEm serviço helicóptero de busca e salvamento 3 2015 Três.
Sikorsky UH-60M Black HawkEm serviço helicóptero utilitário 2 Four ordered in November 2020 with an option on two more; Wikipedia counts two in service. Delivery dates were not confirmed on the official pages checked.
Mil Mi-8T and Mi-8MTV (Mi-17)Em serviço Helicóptero de transporte e resgate 1–2. The Aviation Base lists the Mi-8T and the armed forces list both the Mi-8T and Mi-8MTV; Wikipedia counts one Mi-8MTV-1 after two were given to Ukraine before August 2023.
C-27J3
AS3653
L-4102
UH-60M2

Sob encomenda

Tipo Encomendado Primeira entrega Notas
Sikorsky UH-60M Black HawkSob encomenda 2 2024 The balance of four ordered in November 2020, if Wikipedia’s count of two in service is right; the option on two more was not reported as taken up on the pages checked.
Embraer C-390 MillenniumSob encomenda Not yet an order: the ministry opened purchase talks on 19 June 2025 after an evaluation, citing a 23-tonne payload and delivery in about three years.

Mais

No contract was announced in the ministry’s acquisitions news up to August 2026.

Saab GlobalEye (NATO Alliance Future Surveillance and Control)Sob encomenda 2030 A NATO collective purchase joined by Lithuania and ten other allies on 9 July 2026, about €5 billion in all, to replace the E-3A AWACS from 2030–2031. Pooled, not Lithuanian-owned.

Anteriormente operado

Every type the Lithuanian Air Force has retired

16 types, from the LVG C.VI to the Aero L-39C and L-39ZA Albatros. Os números máximos representam as aeronaves incorporadas à frota ao longo de toda a sua vida útil, e não a força total da frota em uma data específica.

Tipo Papel Pico Servido Substituído por Notas
Aero L-39C and L-39ZA Albatros Jato de treinamento e ataque leve 1993–2024 Four L-39Cs came from Kyrgyzstan in February 1993; the number of L-39ZAs was not confirmed on an official page.
ANBO IV and ANBO 41 Reconhecimento e bombardeiro leve 32 1934–1940 Mid-1940 inventory: 12 ANBO IV and 20 ANBO 41 per Wikipedia’s table; the ANBO IV article says 14 ANBO IVs were built.
ANBO III, V, 51 and VI trainers Treinadores 25 1929–1940 Mid-1940: 9 ANBO III, 13 ANBO V/51 and 3 ANBO VI per Wikipedia. Plieno sparnai counts 66 ANBO aircraft of nine types in all.
ANBO VIII Light bomber prototype 1 1939–1940 Um.
Dewoitine D.501 Lutador 13 1937–1940 13 in the mid-1940 inventory.
Gloster Gladiador Lutador 1937–1940 12–14: Wikipedia’s table gives 14 acquired in 1937 and 12 in the mid-1940 inventory.
Fiat CR.20 Lutador 7 Seven in the mid-1940 inventory.
LVG C.VI Reconhecimento 8 1919–1940 Eight new aircraft received on 27 February 1919; two were still in the mid-1940 inventory.
de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide Transporte e ligação 2 Two in the mid-1940 inventory.
Avro 626 Treinador 3 Three in the mid-1940 inventory.
Bücker Bü 133 Jungmeister Aerobatic trainer 6 Six in the mid-1940 inventory.
Ansaldo A.120 Trainer and reconnaissance Fewer than five in the mid-1940 inventory.
Antonov An-2 Transporte leve 1992–
Antonov An-26 Transporte C-27J
Mil Mi-2 Helicóptero leve
PZL-104 Wilga Ligação

bases aéreas

Where the Lithuanian Air Force flies from

Pinos pretos são bases ativas, pinos ocos são as bases que se fecharam. Šiauliai is Lithuania’s only military air base, and the fighters on it are allied: NATO detachments have stood alert there since four Belgian F-16s landed on 29 March 2004. Kaunas and Nemirsetė are search and rescue posts; Pajuostis, the second air base, ended flying in 2007, and Barysiai, Kaunas-Aleksotas and Palanga are listed for their place in the air force’s history. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.

Base aérea ativa Fechado ou reservadoClique em um marcador para abrir a página inicial.
Base OACI Status Pista Unidades e aeronaves
ŠiauliaiCondado de Šiauliai (apóscrito de Šiaulių) EYSA Ativo 14L/32R3.500 mconcreto e asfalto14R/32L3,244 mconcreto e asfalto
Kaunas search and rescue postKaunas AirportKaunas County (Kauno apskritis) EYKA Ativo 08/263.250 m
  • Aviation Base search and rescue post, Kaunas: Rescue helicopters (type at this post not stated)
Nemirsetė search and rescue postKlaipėda County (Klaipėdos apskritis) Ativo
  • Aviation Base search and rescue post, Nemirsetė: Rescue helicopters (type at this post not stated)
Barysiai airfield Fechado
PajuostisPanevėžysPanevėžys County (Panevėžio apskritis) EYPP Fechado em 2007 13/312.000 mconcreto
  • Second Air Base, Lithuanian Air Force: Aeronaves de transporte e helicópteros
  • 128th Guards Military Transport Aviation Regiment (Soviet): Antonov An-22, Ilyushin Il-76M
Palanga airfieldKlaipėda County (Klaipėdos apskritis) EYPA Fechado em 1963 01/192.280 m
  • Lithuanian Military Aviation pilot training
Kaunas Aleksotas airfieldS. Darius and S. Girėnas AirportKaunas County (Kauno apskritis) EYKS Closed 1940 09R/27L1.130 m
  • Aviação Militar da Lituânia (Karo aviacija): ANBO series, LVG C.VI, Gloster Gladiator, Dewoitine D.501

Nenhuma base aérea corresponde a essa busca.


Ordem de batalha

Who is stationed where in the Lithuanian Air Force

Unidades voadoras por base, unidades atuais primeiro. The Aviation Base is the only Lithuanian flying unit; the rotating NATO detachment at Šiauliai and the Soviet regiment at Pajuostis are listed too, each marked as not Lithuanian. Where a date or a type rests on Wikipedia alone, the entry says so.

Šiauliai Air Base · EYSAAviation Base, Lithuanian Air Force
Aviation Base (Aviacijos bazė)Air base and flying unit · active
C-27J Spartan, L-410 UVP Turbolet, AS365N3+ Dauphin, Mi-8T, UH-60M Black Hawk
Armament and Equipment Repair Depot (Ginkluotės ir technikos remonto depas)Maintenance depot · active
NATO Baltic Air Policing detachment (rotating allied unit)Allied fighter detachment · allied
Eurofighter Typhoon (Italian Air Force, since 31 July 2026)
Interwar 3rd, 4th and 5th squadrons, Lithuanian Military Aviation1931–1940
Kaunas search and rescue post (Kaunas Airport) · EYKAAviation Base detachment
Aviation Base search and rescue post, KaunasSearch and rescue helicopter post · active
Rescue helicopters (type at this post not stated)
Nemirsetė search and rescue post · Aviation Base detachment
Aviation Base search and rescue post, NemirsetėSearch and rescue helicopter post · active
Rescue helicopters (type at this post not stated)

Nenhuma unidade corresponde a essa pesquisa.


Linha do tempo

Lithuanian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1919

27 February: eight LVG C.VI aircraft arrive from Germany. 12 March: the Aviation Division becomes an independent unit, the service’s founding day.

1920

12 May: Vytautas Rauba becomes the first Lithuanian airman killed. 22 September: the first Air Squadron is formed under Lt. Jurgis Dobkevičius. October: Juozas Kumpis is shot down by Polish forces.

1925

14 July: Antanas Gustaitis flies his ANBO-I at Kaunas, the first of the ANBO series.

1931

1 August: the Žokniai military aviation base near Šiauliai is established under Maj. Leonardas Peseckas.

1933

15–17 July: Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas fly Lituanica across the Atlantic and are killed near Soldin, Germany.

1934

Three ANBO IVs under Col. Gustaitis fly a 10,000 km tour of Europe.

1937

Gloster Gladiator and Dewoitine D.501 fighters are bought (Wikipedia).

1940

27 August: Gustaitis is forced to chair the Soviet liquidation commission; the air arm, 117 aircraft in mid-1940, is absorbed into Soviet units.

1992

2 January: the Aviation Service is restored. 27 April: airspace surveillance begins. 12 June: an An-2 flies from Barysiai with Lithuanian markings.

1993

February: four L-39Cs arrive from Kyrgyzstan. 1 March: the Aviation Service becomes the Lithuanian Air Force.

1996

24 January: the government gives the air force the search and rescue task.

2000

6 June: the BALTNET regional airspace surveillance centre opens at Karmėlava. 1 September: the Air Defence Battalion is formed.

2004

29 March: Lithuania joins NATO and Belgian F-16s land at Šiauliai to start Baltic Air Policing. 23 July: L-39ZAs begin national air policing tasks.

2006

23 June: three C-27Js ordered; the first lands at Šiauliai on 22 December.

2015

2 June: the first AS365N3+ Dauphin rescue helicopter arrives.

2020

NASAMS enters service (Wikipedia). November: four UH-60M Black Hawks ordered.

2024

28 March: 20 years of Baltic Air Policing, 64th rotation. 20 April: the last L-39ZA is handed to Ukraine. 3 October: €234 million NASAMS contract.

2026

Defence budget reaches 5.37 per cent of GDP. 9 July: Lithuania joins NATO’s GlobalEye purchase. 31 July: Italian Typhoons take over at Šiauliai as air policing becomes an air defence mission.


Histórico de combate

Todas as guerras em que a Força Aérea Lituana lutou.

Missões e perdas onde constam nos registros, e um espaço em branco honesto onde não constam.

3conflitos
1919Primeiro
0Aeronave perdida
0Morto
  • Guerras de Independência da Lituânia 1919–1920 Flew reconnaissance and liaison for the army in the fighting against the Red Army and Polish forces
  • Ocupação e liquidação soviéticas 1940–1941 Did not resist; the government accepted the Soviet ultimatum of June 1940 and the air arm was dissolved
  • Policiamento aéreo da OTAN no Báltico e policiamento aéreo nacional 2004– Hosts allied fighter detachments at Šiauliai and, from 23 July 2004 until the L-39 was retired, flew national air policing tasks with L-39ZAs

Abra o registro completo do combate



Perguntas e Respostas

Everything people ask about the Lithuanian Air Force

What is the Lithuanian Air Force called in Lithuanian?
Karinės oro pajėgos, literally "military air forces", abbreviated KOP; that is the name the Lithuanian Armed Forces use on kariuomene.lt. English Wikipedia also gives the fuller form Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos.
Does Lithuania have fighter jets?
No. The restored Lithuanian Air Force has never had supersonic fighters, and its last jet, the L-39ZA Albatroz, was retired; the final example went to Ukraine on 20 April 2024. Lithuanian airspace is guarded by NATO allies flying from Šiauliai — in September 2026 four Italian Eurofighter Typhoons.
What aircraft does the Lithuanian Air Force fly in 2026?
Three C-27J Spartan and two L-410 Turbolet transports, three AS365N3+ Dauphin rescue helicopters, the remaining Mi-8s and, per Wikipedia, two of four UH-60M Black Hawks ordered in 2020. All are based at Šiauliai.
What is Baltic Air Policing?
A NATO mission in which allies take turns sending fighters to guard the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which have no fighters of their own. It began when Belgian F-16s landed at Šiauliai at 16:47 on 29 March 2004; by March 2024 there had been 64 rotations by 17 nations. In 2026 NATO turned it into a wider air defence mission.
When was the Lithuanian Air Force founded?
Lithuania dates its military aviation to 12 March 1919, when the Aviation Division became an independent unit. The service was liquidated after the Soviet occupation in 1940 and restored on 2 January 1992; it took the name Air Force on 1 March 1993.
What were the ANBO aircraft?
Lithuanian-designed military aircraft created by Antanas Gustaitis, the name coming from the names Antanas and Bronė. The first, ANBO-I, flew on 14 July 1925; the ANBO IV and ANBO 41 reconnaissance aircraft equipped most of the air arm by 1940, and three ANBO IVs flew a 10,000 km tour of Europe in 1934. Gustaitis was shot by the Soviets in Moscow in October 1941.
Who were Darius and Girėnas?
Steponas Darius, a Lithuanian Air Force captain, and Stasys Girėnas, a Lithuanian-American pilot, flew the Bellanca Lituanica from New York on 15 July 1933 towards Kaunas. After 6,411 km and 37 hours 11 minutes they crashed near Soldin in Germany on 17 July, 636 km short. A Lithuanian commission blamed weather and engine problems; autopsies found no bullet wounds, despite rumours they were shot down.
Where is the Lithuanian Air Force based?
At Šiauliai, the former Soviet Zokniai air base, which the air force shares with a civil airport and with NATO’s fighter detachments. Its headquarters is in Kaunas, rescue helicopters also stand by at Kaunas and Nemirsetė, and the Air Defence Battalion is at Radviliškis.
Does Lithuania have air defence?
Yes, on the ground. The Air Defence Battalion operates NASAMS (in service since 2020 per Wikipedia and expanded by a €234 million contract in October 2024), RBS 70, GROM and Piorun. In 2026 the US approved AIM-9X Sidewinders for NASAMS and Latvia handed over Sentinel radars.
How much does Lithuania spend on defence?
€4,814.2 million in 2026, 5.37 per cent of GDP and 41 per cent more than the €3,397.8 million (4.04 per cent) spent in 2025. The ministry calls it the largest budget in the history of independent Lithuania and the highest share of GDP in NATO.



Fontes e Leitura Complementar

Todos os fatos foram verificados.

Dados verificados em 29/09/2026. As páginas da Ordem de Batalha são geradas a partir de um único conjunto de dados; se algum número aqui divergir de uma página do Livro das Feras, esta página é considerada a mais recente.

Photographs: Photo: GiW / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: VynedJ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo: Keikei1410 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Jim van de Burgt from Wijk bij Duurstede, Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Original uploader was Lazdynas at lt.wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Colin Cooke Photo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Alan Wilson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Wilga in civil markings shown): Łukasz Golowanow and Maciek Hypś, Konflikty.pl / Wikimedia Commons (Attribution) · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Royal Air Force Gladiator. San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (DH.89 in other markings shown): DiscoA340 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Avro 626 in other markings shown): Canada. Dept. of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)