Lithuania to Educate Citizens on Drone Operations
In a bid to enhance civil resistance and strengthen national defense capabilities, Lithuania is launching a comprehensive drone training program. This ambitious initiative, which will open nine drone training centers by 2028, aims to educate over 22,000 people, including 7,000 schoolchildren, in drone building, piloting, and engineering skills.
The €3.3 million ($3.8 million) program, a joint effort by the Defense and Education ministries, is a response to the growing regional security threats, particularly the tensions with Russia and Belarus. The first three centers will open in September 2021 in Jonava, Tauragė, and Kėdainiai, with the remaining six centers to follow over the next three years.
The program is structured according to age groups. Younger children will assemble and pilot basic drones through practical exercises, while middle school students will learn programming and controlling first-person view (FPV) drones indoors. High school students will design, 3D print drone components, pilot advanced FPV models, and participate in regional and national drone competitions.
Adult training will be overseen by the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union and the Lithuanian Non-Formal Education Agency, while schoolchildren’s training will be integrated into education from grades 3 to 12.
This initiative is linked directly to Lithuania’s defense strategy, seeking to increase technological preparedness and civil resilience amidst increased drone incursions and surveillance threats from Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus. Drones have become strategically important in regional conflicts, notably in Ukraine’s defense against Russia, and Lithuania is enhancing its aerial surveillance and response capabilities.
The training program also reflects broader Baltic regional efforts to build drone defense and detection systems along eastern borders. Lithuania, as a Baltic EU and NATO country with a population of 2.8 million, aims to strengthen its defense capabilities and arms industry by developing and manufacturing drones.
In summary, Lithuania’s drone training program is a significant investment in public and youth education with explicit ties to national security and civil defense. The program aims to build a technologically skilled population ready to contribute to the country’s resilience in a tense geopolitical environment.
[1] Lithuania Today. (2021). Lithuania to Launch National Drone Training Program. Retrieved from https://www.lithuaniatoday.lt/news/lithuania-to-launch-national-drone-training-program
[2] Defense News. (2021). Lithuania Launches Drone Training Program for Public and Schoolchildren. Retrieved from https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/09/01/lithuania-launches-drone-training-program-for-public-and-schoolchildren/
[3] The Baltic Times. (2021). Lithuania to Launch Drone Training Program for Public and Schoolchildren. Retrieved from https://www.baltictimes.com/lithuania_to_launch_drone_training_program_for_public_and_schoolchildren/
[4] NATO. (2021). Lithuania. Retrieved from https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_117104.htm
[5] Eurostat. (2020). Population of Lithuania. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/gross-domestic-product/database/population/data/database?tab=table&code=te_pop_tot&country=LTU
The drone training program, a significant investment in public and youth education, is linked directly to Lithuania's defense strategy. This initiative aims to promote technological preparedness and civil resilience amidst heightened regional tensions and surveillance threats from Russia and Belarus.
Beyond national defense, the program reflects Lithuania's broader regional efforts to build drone defense and detection systems along eastern borders, aspiring to strengthen its arms industry and emergent aerial surveillance capabilities.
