Lithuania and Northrop Grumman have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand the co-production of medium-caliber ammunition, building on an initial deal inked in September 2024.
The agreement, signed at the NATO Industry Summit in The Hague, will see the US contractor Northrop and Norwegian defense firm Nammo equip Lithuania’s state-owned Giraitės Ginkluotės Gamykla (Giraitė Armaments Plant) with 35mm ammunition production technology and related support.
“This will allow us to better equip our armed forces and help Lithuania become an important link in international supply chains,” said Vice Minister of Defence, Loreta Maskaliovienė.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė called the partnership “essential for the development of the national (military) division by 2030,” noting that it boosts strategic autonomy in defense.
In January, the Baltic country announced its plans to spend an annual five to six percent of its gross domestic product on defense from 2026 to 2030, eyeing the increase to enable it to buy tanks and tracked infantry fighting vehicles.
Šakalienė also mentioned how the expanded deal with Northrop enhances collaboration with NATO allies such as the US and Norway, as well as supporting the country’s armed forces and those of Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
Meanwhile, Northrop Corporate VP and Global Business Development Officer, Steve O’Bryan, said that the collaboration “expedites delivery of a critical defense need and delivers sustained industrial benefits to the United States and Lithuania.”
The deal follows after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned earlier this week of renewed Russian military operations in Europe, reinforcing the urgency for reliable and diversified defense production.
Report by Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov. Lots of details about the situation in Russia and its defense industry. We’re aware of the aggressor state’s key vulnerabilities and will strike accordingly to defend our state and people, as well as to… pic.twitter.com/SsU5xqVBKy
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 22, 2025
