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Lithuania Finalizes Receipt of 500 U.S.-Made JLTVs Becoming Largest Operator Outside the United States.
Lithuania confirmed it received the final two U.S.-made Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, completing a 500-vehicle JLTV fleet under a long-running procurement effort. The milestone strengthens Vilnius’ division-level force ambitions and deepens defense ties with Washington through a government-to-government acquisition model.
According to the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence, Lithuania on 18 February 2026 formally completed the delivery of 500 U.S.-made Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, after receiving the final two units of the fleet. The program, executed through U.S. government-to-government cooperation, represents one of Vilnius’ most significant recent modernization efforts and replaces legacy light utility vehicles across multiple formations. Officials frame the JLTV acquisition as central to Lithuania’s push toward division-level capability and enhanced NATO interoperability, particularly along the alliance’s eastern flank. The steady delivery cadence culminating in mid-February underscores both industrial reliability and Lithuania’s sustained investment in high-mobility, protected platforms suited for Baltic terrain and deterrence missions.
Lithuania has completed delivery of a 500-vehicle fleet of U.S.-made Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, marking a major step in its push to strengthen division-level capability and NATO interoperability (Picture Source: Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence)
The ministry states the JLTV acquisition project began in 2019, when it signed a procurement contract with the U.S. Government. Manufacturing was carried out by Oshkosh Defense, and deliveries were executed in two stages, 200 vehicles first and 300 in the second tranche, bringing the total to 500 advanced armored vehicles now in Lithuanian Armed Forces service.
Lithuania’s defence leadership ties the fleet directly to operational utility rather than symbolism. Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas said the completion marks a strategic stage of capability enhancement supporting development of the national division and deterrence, emphasizing the platform’s high crew safety and mobility features and its role across reconnaissance, fire support, and command operations. In practice, that language signals the JLTV as a connective tissue vehicle, the kind that helps units move, see, and command under pressure while keeping crews protected.
Air defence is deliberately stitched into the JLTV story. Kaunas noted that, because air defence remains a top priority, part of the purchased vehicles are RBS70 NG short-range air defence system-capable. The ministry repeats the same point in its technical description, presenting compatibility with the RBS70 NG as an embedded feature of the fleet rather than a separate add-on, indicating that at least a portion of Lithuania’s JLTVs are intended to move and support short-range air defence teams as a mobile element of the force.
U.S. diplomatic messaging in the release pushes the scale of the fleet as a benchmark. U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Kara C. McDonald said that with deliveries complete, Lithuania becomes the largest JLTV operator outside of the United States, describing it as a historical achievement that highlights American engineering and Lithuania’s NATO-wide commitment as a leading defence spender. She added that the JLTV will strengthen rapid response capability and improve interoperability with Allies, framing the program as a tangible example of burden-sharing and the strength of the U.S.-Lithuania bond.
The ministry’s own characterization of the platform centers on three traits: crew security, mobility, and versatility, calling the JLTV an efficient choice for complex operations. It describes the vehicle as a platform supporting reconnaissance, fire support, operational command, and other tasks, which aligns with Lithuania’s broader goal of fielding forces that can move quickly and coordinate effectively under NATO standards, especially as it modernizes across multiple lines of effort.
Vilnius situates the JLTV procurement within a wider modernization curve aimed at full national division development by 2030 and stronger comprehensive deterrence. The ministry notes that the armed forces modernization is ongoing, with more planning expected in the coming year, and states that approximately 60 percent of the defence budget is earmarked for modernization this year, a signal that platforms like the JLTV and RBS70 NG-capable variants are being funded as part of a sustained, not episodic, investment pattern.
Lithuania’s completion of the 500-vehicle JLTV fleet is presented by the Ministry of National Defence as both a finished procurement milestone and a functional step toward division-level readiness, with the vehicles assigned to reconnaissance, fire support, and command roles. The explicit inclusion of RBS70 NG short-range air defence system-capable variants reinforces the government’s stated priority on air defence and suggests a force design where mobility and protection are meant to travel with key battlefield enablers, tightening Lithuania’s rapid response posture and its interoperability narrative with NATO partners.