Poland’s MESKO S.A. has secured a €28 million contract to supply Lithuania with GROM man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), enhancing the nation’s short-range air defence as regional security concerns intensify near NATO’s eastern border. This acquisition is a strategic part of Lithuania’s military modernization, aimed at closing gaps in its layered air defence network, according to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense. The GROM system, designed by MESKO, is engineered to engage low-altitude threats such as helicopters, drones, and close air support aircraft. Equipped with a 72 mm solid-fuel rocket motor and infrared homing guidance, the missile can reach speeds of 650 m/s, with an effective range of 5.5 km and altitude coverage up to 3.5 km. Its 1.35 kg high-explosive warhead is built for precise aerial threat neutralization.
