In an effort to bolster defense on the eastern flank of NATO, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense recently established the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) school in a border area with Russia, with plans to expand to a total of nine schools nationwide. The courses are designed for children over 10 years old and adults, focusing on teaching UAV operation, assembly, and programming to enhance national defense skills.
Deputy Minister of Defense Tomas Godliauskas stated, “This is part of building military defense capabilities, and Lithuania takes it very seriously because our neighboring countries are Russia and Belarus.”
The school is located in Taurage, just 20 kilometers from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Students conduct virtual flight training indoors using computer simulators and practice flying micro drones outdoors under the guidance of instructors.
Teacher Mindaugas Tamosaitis mentioned that the curriculum will cover first-person view (FPV) drones, quadcopters, and fixed-wing UAV operation skills. FPV drones allow operators to precisely control them through a camera-mounted on the drone, providing a “first-person view” and serving as a crucial tool for modern military and reconnaissance purposes.
As a member of NATO, Lithuania had requested enhanced air defense systems and anti-UAV technology support from NATO this summer after two Russian drones invaded from the Belarusian border and crashed.
Poland also faces similar challenges. On Monday evening (September 15), a drone flew over the Belweder Palace, the President’s residence, and several government buildings in Warsaw. The Polish National Security Bureau quickly subdued the drone without firing a shot and apprehended two Belarusian citizens.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, via the social platform X, mentioned that the investigation is ongoing. According to National Security Agency spokesperson Boguslaw Piorkowski, the exact drone model is yet to be disclosed, as it was first detected after 7 p.m. on Monday.
This incident coincided with Belarus conducting joint military exercises with Russia, known as “Zapad,” adding pressure to Poland’s security. Poland had requested more air defense and anti-UAV support from European allies last week. Recently, the UK announced the dispatch of fighter jets to participate in NATO’s “Eastern Sentry” operation, conducting patrols over Polish airspace.
Polish Minister of Finance Andrzej Domanski emphasized, “Investing in drones should be a top priority. The experience of Ukraine demonstrates that drones and counter systems play a decisive role in battlefield superiority.”
NATO announced last Friday its reinforcement of European Eastern flank deployments by increasing air defense equipment and strengthening joint training to address the escalating security threats from Russia and Belarus direction.