Lithuanian students are learning to build and operate drones as part of a government-backed program aimed at preparing youth for future technological and security challenges.

Vilnius

Lithuanian schoolchildren are participating in a defense ministry program where they learn to build and fly drones, starting with simulations and progressing to real-world operation. The initiative is designed to equip students with skills relevant to modern security needs, especially as drone technology becomes increasingly important in both civilian and military contexts.

The program comes amid heightened regional concerns about drone incursions and the growing use of drones in warfare. Lithuania, alongside its neighbor Latvia—a leading drone producer in Europe—has joined NATO's drone coalition. The training aims to prepare the next generation for a future where drones play a significant role in national defense, though challenges remain in scaling up production due to supply chain limitations.

Lithuanian schools introduce drone technology training for students

These kids at a Lithuanian school are learning how to build and fly drones, first in simulation, then in reality. They are taking part in a defence ministry programme to prepare them for the challenges of the future. It's just fun to fly a drone, I don't know, maybe it could be useful, I could take photos maybe with the drone defending our country because I saw that a drone entered Lithuania not long ago on the news, so maybe in the military it could be useful. And Lithuanians have every right to worry. Taurage, a city of 20 thousands, lies just 30 kilometres from the Russian border. Last year Lithuania joined NATO's drone coalition, led by its Baltic neighbour Latvia, now one of Europe's top drone producers. In 2024 alone, Latvia delivered 5,000 drones to Ukraine, this year it aims to more than double that number. These small machines are changing the way wars are fought. Three, four, five years ago drones were just either filming equipment, toys or racing style drones and nobody was thinking about them as actual things that you can use in the war. Now in past few years it's proven that they are very cost effective, they can destroy a lot, they can be mass produced very quickly and you don't need that much time to learn how to operate with them. Latvian companies like Eraser test drones under real conditions, including recent military drills, but also on the battlefield in Ukraine. Access to that knowledge together with strategic government investment has made Latvia the EU leader in drone technology, technology that can be also used to protect its own skies. The recent Russian drone incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace have put countries on high alert. We are working increasingly on drones which could defend our country against, let's say, incursions or invasions and also drones and anti-drone systems based on drones which can also be a cheap defence against attacks from flying drones in. However, this might prove challenging for manufacturers. It's very easy to ramp up manufacturing from 100 to 1,000 and even to 10,000 drones a month. That's not the hard part. The hardest part is supply chain. For example, there are a lot of parts that could be produced only in certain countries. Raw materials will be a problem in the future. Back in Lithuania, these children are also getting ready for a future where drone technology may continue to play a vital role.

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