Lithuania begins trials of Ukrainian-made SkyFortress drone detection system

Lithuania has started testing SkyFortress, an air-space monitoring solution created in Ukraine that relies on artificial-intelligence algorithms to detect low-altitude drones and cruise missiles through acoustic and radio-frequency cues. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said the pilot aims to reinforce the early stage of the country’s air-defence architecture by identifying threats before interception. The summer-signed contract includes sensor data processing, a database of unclassified acoustic and RF signatures, and training for operators.

The evaluation will measure the system’s capability to locate and identify unmanned aircraft over Lithuanian territory. The move comes as Lithuania and neighboring Baltic nations have heightened air-space security amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and a rise in reported aerial threats, such as the September drone intercepted by Italian jets stationed at Šiauliai.