Minister of National Defense of Lithuania Arvydas Anusauskas shared some news about the Bayraktar unmanned combat aerial vehicle that is expected to be gifted to Ukraine soon.
The people of Lithuania decided by voting to name the aircraft "Vanagos" (stands for "Hawk") and already agreed on the armament – it will receive standard MAM-L smart laser-guided missiles.
Read more: This Ship Got Attacked by a Bayraktar (Photo)
As a reminder, a Lithuanian journalist Andrius Tapinas organized a fundraising campaign to buy a TB2 Bayraktar UCAV of Turkish Baykar manufacturer for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Bayraktar drones have proven to be effective for attacks on russian military equipment columns, especially during the first weeks of invasion in late February – March.
The people of Lithuania gathered the required € 5 mln in three days, later the defense ministry took care of necessary agreements and finally Turkiye agreed to give the drone for free, thus the gathered money, according to Anusauskas, would be spent to arm the drones.
Now we know that the UAV will be equipped with smart micro munitions MAM-L with laser seeker guidance. These weigh 22 kg and carry either multi-purpose high-explosive or a thermobaric warhead. The primary use is against tanks, light-armored equipment and personnel.
The estimated cost of a single missile is $ 25,000, according to the Oryx research group.
The drone is expected to arrive in Lithuania in "the first days of July" together with munitions.
Read more: Lithuanian Journalist Purchased 110 EDM4S Counter-Drone Rifles For Ukraine
