Lithuania To Send Special Helicopters To Border With Belarus

For what purposes will they be used?

The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service announced the purchase of three helicopters. Two of them will be used for radiation reconnaissance and other border missions, and another one will be used to monitor transit to the Kaliningrad region.

Two helicopters worth 46 million euros are purchased from Airbus. The H145 machines will be engaged in radiation monitoring. Their task is to provide a round-the-clock response in the event of an accident at the BelNPP. The helicopters will also be used for other purposes: monitoring flooded areas, evacuating people, monitoring the state border, including searching for illegal migrants, and transporting special forces. Delivery of the helicopters is expected in 2024.

The border guards will receive the third helicopter in 2025. Its cost is 11 million euros. The purchase will be financed from European Union funds. The machine will be used to control Kaliningrad transit. With its help, monitoring of Russian trains traveling through Lithuania to the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation will be strengthened.

At the moment, Lithuanian border guards have five helicopters: two Eurocopter 120B Colibri and two Eurocopter 135, as well as a Eurocopter 145. All of them were purchased in 2002-2006.