Viewers Corner News source in Vilnius informed us that Lithuania government has signed a deal to buy German-made armoured vehicles worth 386 million euros ($435 million) in order to boost the country’s defence capabilities. According to the information, this contract (88 Boxer armoured fighting vehicles) which is the country’s biggest-ever arms purchase was signed on Monday, August 22, 2016 and the fighting vehicles were produced by the German-Dutch ARTEC consortium. Juozas Olekas, Lithuania’s Defence Minister stated after signing the deal that the contract is a long-term investment into the country’s defence which Lithuania authority is taking very serious. According to report, the first batch of the armoured vehicles would arrive in Lithuania in 2017 while the remaining ones are expected by 2021.
Lithuania (the largest of the three Baltic states) became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991 and since March 18, 2014 when Russia illegally seized and annexed Crimea from Ukraine, the Baltic NATO member (Lithuania) has been increasing her defence budget each year. Next year (2017), the country is expected to budget about 725 million euros on its national defence.
Source: Viewers Corner News.