Vilnius-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) producer Granta Autonomy announced on 26 September 2024 that it has secured a new EUR 1 million contract with the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) for its first-person-view (FPV) GA-10FPV-AI quadcopter UAV.
The quadcopters will be supplied to both the Lithuanian military and Ukrainian armed forces and form part of a larger EUR 8 million defence procurement initiative involving several additional Lithuanian UAV manufacturers. In total over 2,300 UAVs will be delivered to Lithuania, while nearly 5,000 will be sent to Ukraine. The first deliveries are expected to arrive in Ukraine by the end of this month (September 2024), with all UAVs to be delivered by the end of the year.
“This significant order from the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence is a major milestone for Granta Autonomy,” Gediminas Guoba, founder and CEO of Granta Autonomy, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Our drones are already proving their effectiveness on Ukrainian battlefields, and we are ramping up production to fulfil this new contract by the end of the year. We are also actively pursuing additional opportunities with the Lithuanian government and other NATO partners. We have been working with the Lithuanian government from the beginning and our ongoing partnership not only highlights Lithuania’s commitment to supporting Ukraine but also underscores our position as a leader in drone technology. By supporting Ukrainian forces and fostering domestic innovation, Lithuania is making a significant contribution to global security and defence.”
The newest addition to Granta Autonomy’s range of mini-UAVs, the GA-10FPV-AI is a versatile FPV UAV designed for various applications. It features a quadcopter frame with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities and can carry payloads of up to 3 kg. Pre-programmed missions ensure autonomous operation, even in radio frequency- or GNSS-denied environments. The GA-10FPV-AI system includes a ground control station with FPV goggles, a controller, a battery charger, antennas, and a monitor for external video display. The system offers a range of customisation options for video transmission frequencies and camera types, making it suitable for various missions and environments.
Founded in 2015 by former Lithuanian military engineers Gediminas Guoba and Laurynas Litvinas, Granta Autonomy has grown rapidly, securing EUR 1 million in seed funding from ScaleWolf VC, Brolis Defence and HFL holdings in July 2024. That investment helped to accelerate development and production of Granta Autonomy’s cutting-edge range of UAVs, micro gimbals and digital datalink software, which have all been rigorously and personally tested on the Ukrainian front lines.
