Lithuania Receives New Israeli Spike LR2 Missiles to Enhance Vilkas IFVs’ Anti-Tank Capability.

Lithuania on March 9, 2026, said it had received more than €5.7 million worth of AMRAAM 120B missiles, Spike LR2 anti-tank missiles, and 5.56×45 mm NATO BALL ammunition for its armed forces. The delivery strengthens both NASAMS-based medium-range air defence and Vilkas infantry fighting vehicle lethality, reinforcing combat readiness on NATO’s northeastern flank.

On March 9, 2026, Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence announced the arrival of additional AMRAAM 120B and Spike LR2 missiles, together with 5.56×45 mm NATO BALL ammunition, in a resupply package valued at more than €5.7 million. The development matters beyond a routine ammunition top-up because it highlights Lithuania’s effort to strengthen both medium-range air defence and ground combat lethality at NATO’s northeastern edge. The ministry’s release was accompanied by imagery showing a Vilkas infantry fighting vehicle launching a Spike LR2, underscoring the anti-armour dimension of the delivery and the growing relevance of this missile in Lithuania’s land warfare posture.

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Lithuania has reinforced its Vilkas infantry fighting vehicles and NASAMS air defence system with a €5.7 million delivery of Spike LR2 anti-tank missiles, AMRAAM 120B interceptors, and NATO-standard ammunition, strengthening combat readiness on NATO’s eastern flank (Pictures Source: Rafael / Lithuanian MoD)

While the official announcement covered both air-defence and anti-armour munitions, the most operationally revealing element is the Spike LR2 delivery tied to the Vilkas fleet. Lithuania stated that the missiles are used with Vilkas infantry fighting vehicles, giving them stronger firepower and greater effective range against tanks, armoured equipment, buildings and other high-value targets. That combination turns the Boxer-based Vilkas from a protected troop carrier with a cannon into a platform able to engage enemy armour at stand-off distances, a particularly relevant capability on a flank where mobility, rapid reaction and dispersed fires are increasingly central to deterrence planning.

The Spike LR2 itself belongs to Rafael’s fifth-generation Spike family and is designed as a long-range electro-optically guided anti-tank missile. According to the manufacturer, it offers a ground-launch range of up to 5.5 kilometres, weighs about 13 kilograms, and uses an advanced seeker combining an uncooled infrared sensor with a high-resolution day sensor. The system is built around both fire-and-forget and man-in-the-loop engagement logic, allowing the operator to maintain control during flight when needed, adjust aim, or refine target selection. Rafael also states that the missile can be fitted with a tandem HEAT warhead for anti-armour penetration or a multipurpose warhead for broader target sets, giving it relevance not only against tanks but also against field fortifications, structures and other hardened objectives.

For Lithuania, these characteristics are especially important because they expand the tactical envelope of mechanized units equipped with Vilkas vehicles. A vehicle-mounted Spike LR2 provides a way to detect, track and strike hostile armour before entering the most dangerous part of direct-fire combat, while preserving the option to engage from concealed or offset positions. In practice, this improves survivability for Lithuanian crews and allows small mechanized formations to impose disproportionate risk on heavier adversary formations. The missile’s precision and flexibility also matter in mixed terrain, including urban areas and broken ground, where armoured vehicles may need to defeat not only tanks but also strongpoints, firing positions or troop concentrations inside structures.

The operational background of the Spike family further explains why the Lithuanian live-fire image carries weight. Spike missiles have been adopted by a broad group of users and have built a reputation as mature, combat-relevant guided weapons rather than experimental systems. The LR2 variant was developed as an evolution of earlier Spike LR models, adding lighter weight, longer range, updated seekers and improved penetration performance. Its compatibility with vehicle integration has made it attractive for armies seeking to extend the anti-tank reach of infantry fighting vehicles without moving to a much heavier dedicated tank-destroyer concept. Lithuania’s use of the missile on Vilkas fits squarely into that wider trend of giving mechanized infantry greater independent anti-armour punch.

The Vilkas-Spike LR2 pairing strengthens Lithuania’s ability to contest armoured manoeuvre on short notice. The missile offers rapid-response engagement capacity against moving armour and can help shape the battlefield before hostile forces close to cannon range. This is significant for a country that must think in terms of forward defence, rapid reinforcement and delay operations under pressure. A network of IFVs armed with long-range guided missiles can complicate an adversary’s advance routes, force greater dispersion, and slow momentum even before heavier allied formations arrive in full strength. In that sense, the delivery is not simply about replenishing stocks; it is about sustaining credible combat power in the opening phase of a high-intensity contingency.

The broader strategic implication for NATO is equally clear. Lithuania sits on the alliance’s eastern flank, where the ability of frontline states to absorb pressure and hold ground during the first hours or days of a crisis remains central to collective defence. Additional Spike LR2 missiles improve the resilience of one of Lithuania’s key mechanized capabilities and reinforce a layered deterrence model in which national forces are expected to fight effectively alongside allied air defence, reinforcement plans and multinational battlegroups. Combined with the parallel AMRAAM resupply for NASAMS, the latest delivery points to a deliberate Lithuanian effort to strengthen both the anti-armour and air-defence components of its deterrent architecture. For NATO, that means a member state investing not only in symbolic readiness, but in the practical ability to destroy armour, deny manoeuvre and buy time for allied response.

With this new shipment, Lithuania is sending a clear signal that ammunition stocks, precision fires and mechanized lethality remain essential on NATO’s front line. The image of a Vilkas launching a Spike LR2 captures that message with unusual clarity: this is not just a warehouse delivery, but a visible reminder that Lithuania is strengthening the weapons its forces would actually rely on to stop armoured thrusts in a real conflict.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.