Saab has announced that Lithuania has placed new orders worth SEK 1.3 billion for AT4 weapons and ammunition for the Carl-Gustaf system, under a framework agreement coordinated by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV). The latest contract reflects Vilnius’ ongoing efforts to expand its defence capabilities amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and growing strategic pressures along NATO’s eastern flank.
This move comes shortly after Lithuania approved a joint NATO procurement of 100 CV90 MkIV infantry fighting vehicles, Signalling a comprehensive modernisation of the country’s land combat forces. Together, these initiatives illustrate Lithuania’s deliberate strategy to equip its armed forces with mobile, layered, and sustainable firepower capable of deterring aggression in the Baltic region.
The new order combines Saab’s two flagship 84 mm ground combat systems: the disposable AT4 launcher and the reloadable Carl-Gustaf multi-role recoilless rifle. The AT4 is a lightweight, man-portable, fully disposable system optimised for rapid deployment, with an effective engagement range typically between 200 and 1,000 metres depending on variant and target type. The Carl-Gustaf M4, the latest evolution of a weapon in service since the late 1940s, has been redesigned as a modern, under-7 kg system, less than one metre in length, and equipped with a Picatinny rail for advanced day/night sights and fire-control systems.
Both systems share a broad family of ammunition, including high-explosive, high-explosive anti-tank, multi-purpose, and smoke rounds, giving infantry the flexibility to engage armour, fortifications, and personnel across multiple tactical scenarios. Saab’s head of the Dynamics business area, Görgen Johansson, emphasised that the company’s goal is to provide Lithuanian troops with reliable, precise, and easy-to-use support weapons to enable safer and more effective mission execution.
Lithuania’s AT4 and Carl-Gustaf ammunition orders are placed under a pre-existing FMV framework that also allows Latvia and Estonia to procure the same systems. The latest call-off amounts to roughly EUR 115 million, with deliveries scheduled between 2027 and 2029. The framework approach offers several advantages: it pools regional demand, ensures predictable production over multiple years, and standardises calibres and ammunition across Baltic forces, simplifying logistics and sustainment.
The procurement complements Lithuania’s mechanised force modernisation through the CV90 MkIV programme. Lithuania plans to acquire 100 vehicles via a joint procurement with five NATO partners, with deliveries beginning in 2028. The CV90 MkIV brings a 1,000 hp powerpack, upgraded transmission, active damping for improved cross-country mobility, and a modular turret architecture capable of accommodating various medium-calibre guns and future sensor or protection upgrades. Emphasis will also be placed on domestic component production and in-country maintenance, boosting industrial resilience.
The combination of disposable AT4 launchers and reloadable Carl-Gustaf ammunition strengthens Lithuania’s squad-level and platoon-level firepower. AT4 systems provide single-use anti-armour and anti-hardened-target capabilities, while Carl-Gustaf rounds offer versatile support for urban combat, obstacle reduction, and anti-structure missions. The result is a layered land combat capability, where mechanised IFVs deliver protected mobility and networked firepower, and dismounted teams can rapidly exploit gaps, reinforce defensive positions, or counter enemy armour.
The new orders also enhance Lithuania’s ability to operate in dispersed formations—a crucial requirement for small states facing numerically superior adversaries. The AT4’s disposable design and confined-space variants allow soldiers to engage targets from cover or buildings without exposing themselves to backblast. The Carl-Gustaf M4’s reduced weight and wide ammunition range enable rapid shifts between roles, from anti-armour and anti-structure missions to smoke screening and illumination, without reliance on heavy vehicles or complex logistics. When integrated with CV90 MkIV formations featuring modern digital architectures, national radios, battle management systems, and electronic warfare interfaces, Lithuanian units gain a dense web of sensors and effectors from squad to brigade level, complicating any adversary’s attempt to separate infantry from supporting fires.
The timing and scale of the order align with Lithuania’s record defence spending. The government has signalled a rise to 5.38% of GDP in 2026, with an allocation of approximately EUR 4.79 billion, the highest proportion among NATO members. By securing a multi-year framework-based contract for infantry weapons and ammunition that synchronises with a multinational CV90 procurement, Lithuania ensures a coherent force-development timeline, rather than piecemeal acquisitions. It also reflects an emerging Northern European approach: integrating manoeuvre forces, ammunition stocks, and industrial resilience as mutually reinforcing elements of deterrence, achieved through pooled procurement, common configurations, and shared support solutions.
By committing to this substantial Saab package and the joint CV90 MkIV programme, Lithuania is signalling a defence posture geared toward sustained, high-intensity land combat. The SEK 1.3 billion ground combat order expands the firepower of its infantry units, plugs into a Baltic-wide framework for 84 mm systems, and aligns with unprecedented defence investments aimed at securing NATO’s most exposed flank. For allies and potential adversaries alike, Vilnius is demonstrating that its rhetoric is backed by concrete capabilities, ensuring its forces are supplied, modernised, and combat-ready for the long term.
