Lithuania is testing a Ukrainian artificial intelligence-powered system for detecting and tracking drones and missiles

Lithuania is testing the Ukrainian Sky Fortress air surveillance system, designed to detect and track low-flying drones and cruise missiles, Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas announced Friday. The move comes amid intensifying air threats stemming from the war in Ukraine and drone incidents reported in the Baltic states.

The system uses artificial intelligence to identify objects based on acoustic or electromagnetic signatures and can classify them in real time. Lithuania’s authorities are thus seeking to rapidly adapt solutions already tested in combat conditions, rather than develop an entirely new system from scratch.

Ukraine is considered a global leader in the use of drones, following several years of confrontation with the Russian invasion. The experience gained on the front is now being used by Lithuania to strengthen surveillance of its airspace.

In recent years, Ukrainian drones diverted from their course by Russian jamming have entered the airspace of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia and crashed. Russian drones originating from Belarus have also entered Lithuanian airspace.