Lithuania To Procure Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission Compact Radars From Thales Group
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense has announced the signing of an intergovernmental agreement with the Dutch Ministry of Defense for the procurement of Thales Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission Compact (GM200 MM/C) radars. According to the Ministry’s statement, this joint procurement with the Netherlands will play an important role in significantly increasing the artillery capability of the Lithuanian Land Forces.
The deal is worth approximately €127 million ($139 million) and includes an unspecified number of Thales Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission Compact (GM200 MM/C) radars, as well as a logistics support package that includes technical documentation, training for operators and maintenance personnel, a primary spare parts package, system-specific tool kits, and test equipment. The agreement’s main contractor is Thales Nederland, a Dutch subsidiary of the French Thales Group. The first deliveries of the ordered radars are scheduled for 2026.
This agreement signed by Lithuania and the Netherlands also opens the door to collaboration in the maintenance of multi-mission radars. The participation of the Lithuanian defense industry in such projects is being considered in the future.
Regarding the agreement, Lithuania’s Minister of National Defense, Arvydas Anušauskas, said, “The artillery radar system Lithuania is buying will be a significant boost to our artillery capabilities. The system is designed to calculate indirect fire positions of hostile forces based on incoming shell trajectory and to enable to quickly engage the source of fire. “This purchase is a vital addition to the current capabilities.”
Thales Netherlands CEO Gerben Edelijn stated, “This Government-to-Government contract between the Netherlands and Lithuania illustrates the strong European defence cooperation. We are proud to be a part of this collaboration between NATO countries for which our GM200 MM/C will increase the safety and security of military personnel and high value assets.”
The Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission Compact (GM200 MM/C) radar was developed in collaboration with Thales Group and the Royal Netherlands Armed Forces. The radar system, used by the Dutch and Norwegian armies, supports a variety of missions, including weapon locating and counter-battery, air surveillance, and air defense. With its new generation 4D Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology, the GM200 MM/C has demonstrated its effectiveness in various live-fire tests, demonstrating its durability and performance.
When compared to traditional 2D and 3D radars, this advanced technology provides superior target detection, tracking, classification performance, and weapons support. Other important features of the system include 24/7 availability in GPS/EW-blocked environments and interoperability with NATO covert networks. Furthermore, due to its compact design, the GM200 MM/C can be transported by air, rail, road, and sea and can be deployed in less than 2 minutes.