> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.adriadefense.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Lithuania Drills Long-Range Drone Strikes Near Belarus - URL: https://www.adriadefense.com/lithuania-drills-long-range-drone-strikes-near-belarus/ - Published: 2026-09-09T06:00:35.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-09T06:00:35.000Z - Description: Lithuania is integrating reconnaissance, long-range strike and counter-UAS capabilities into Strong Griffin 2026, involving 2,500 troops and 500 vehicles. - Author: AdriaDefense Desk - Tags: Lithuania, CEE, Baltic States, Industry, Drones Lithuania is integrating long-range drone strikes, unmanned reconnaissance and counter-UAS operations into the multinational Strong Griffin 2026 exercise near its border with Belarus. About **2,500 Lithuanian and allied troops and 500 pieces of military equipment** are participating in the exercise, which runs from September 2 to 20 in the Švenčionys district. The Lithuanian Armed Forces are using the exercise to integrate their developing ANBO unmanned aircraft capability with conventional military units. ANBO covers multiple roles ranging from reconnaissance and target detection to long-range strikes and operations against hostile drones. ## Lithuania integrates ANBO drones into Strong Griffin 2026 Strong Griffin 2026 is led by the Lithuanian Land Forces' Žemaitija Infantry Brigade. Personnel from the United States, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Ukraine, Moldova and Portugal are participating alongside Lithuanian forces. The exercise centers on training and evaluating the Lithuanian Grand Duke Margiris Infantry Battalion in defensive and offensive operations across urban and forested terrain. Lithuanian troops and their partners are practicing maneuver, operational planning, coordination and decision-making under changing tactical conditions. The multinational format also tests the ability of Lithuanian and allied units to operate together. The drone component gives the exercise a broader role. Lithuania describes ANBO as a capability intended to develop and integrate different types of unmanned aircraft systems and methods of employment across the force. During Strong Griffin, that includes **reconnaissance, target detection, long-range strikes and counter-UAS operations**. The Lithuanian military said the exercise will allow it to evaluate how the capability interacts with other military units. ## Strong Griffin puts drone warfare into combined-arms training Integrating drones into a battalion-level field exercise marks a shift from treating unmanned aircraft primarily as standalone reconnaissance assets. Reconnaissance and target acquisition can support conventional maneuver units by shortening the chain between locating a target and assigning an available weapon. Long-range unmanned strike systems add another layer, while counter-UAS training addresses the opposing side of the same battlefield problem. Lithuania has not publicly identified in its Strong Griffin announcement which specific unmanned aircraft will conduct the long-range strike portion of the exercise, nor has it disclosed their ranges or payloads. The announcement instead emphasizes integration of different unmanned systems and methods of employment. That distinction matters because the exercise provides evidence of an operational concept under development rather than confirmation of a particular new long-range weapon entering Lithuanian service. ## Exercise takes place close to Lithuania's eastern frontier Strong Griffin is taking place in the Švenčionys district, including areas around Pabradė and Švenčionėliai. Military equipment was redeployed from Klaipėda toward the Vilnius region between September 2 and 6 as forces assembled for the exercise. The district sits along Lithuania's eastern frontier with Belarus, giving the training area direct relevance to the country's defense requirements on NATO's eastern flank. The Lithuanian military has not characterized Strong Griffin as a response to a specific Belarusian or Russian action. Its stated purpose is to assess the Margiris Infantry Battalion and improve interoperability among Lithuanian and partner forces. The exercise nevertheless comes amid sustained investment by Lithuania and other Baltic states in capabilities shaped by lessons from the war in Ukraine, where unmanned reconnaissance, strike drones and counter-UAS systems have become integrated elements of ground combat. Ukraine's participation in Strong Griffin is notable in that context, although the Lithuanian announcement does not specify the Ukrainian contingent's role in the drone portion of the exercise. ## Lithuania tests how unmanned systems fit into its ground forces For Lithuania, the significance of Strong Griffin extends beyond the number of troops involved. The exercise provides an opportunity to test whether an emerging unmanned capability can operate alongside infantry, artillery and other conventional units rather than functioning as an isolated drone element. That integration is becoming increasingly important for NATO militaries adapting force structures to battlefield lessons from Ukraine. Strong Griffin continues through **September 20**, providing Lithuania with additional time to evaluate the Margiris Infantry Battalion and the integration of ANBO unmanned systems into larger tactical operations.