The aircraft are being delivered throughout the first half of 2025 and will serve multiple roles, including aerial control of Russian transit trains, radiation reconnaissance, search and rescue, and participation in EU-wide operations.
Overseeing trains from Russian mainland to Kaliningrad over Lithuania
One of the helicopters, funded by the European Union, is designated specifically for monitoring transit trains under the Special Transit Scheme (STS). The aircraft was officially handed over on 7 April at the VSAT Aviation Board premises in Paluknys, Trakai district. It will be used to oversee the transit of Russian passenger trains between mainland Russia and Kaliningrad through Lithuanian territory.
The helicopter is intended to operate over remote and forested areas that are difficult to access by ground forces. It will be used to assess on-site situations, respond to incidents, and, when necessary, deploy personnel directly to the location. This type of aerial surveillance supports the continuous monitoring of train movements and allows border guards to maintain oversight of the corridor used under the STS, which permits Russian citizens to cross Lithuanian territory with simplified documents.
Procurement timeline and equipment
The contract with Airbus Helicopters Deutschland was signed in September 2023. According to VSAT, the first H145 was expected in early March, followed by the second at the end of March, and the third in July. On 26 February 2025, during a visit to Germany, the Commander of the VSAT, General Rustams Liubajevas, signed the factory acceptance protocol for the second helicopter.
The three helicopters are valued at €57 million in total—two acquired using state budget funds (€46 million) and one funded by the EU (€11 million). Two of the helicopters will be equipped for radiation reconnaissance and a wide range of missions. Equipment includes video surveillance systems, rescue winches, external cargo suspensions, and gear for medical evacuation, firefighting, and deployment of tactical units.
Broader operational use
Beyond Kaliningrad train escort, the H145s are to support flood surveillance, emergency evacuations, organ transport, border patrols, and search and rescue. They are also expected to be deployed under the mandate of ATLAS, a network of special intervention units from EU member states, and to participate in missions coordinated by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX).
The addition of new aircraft addresses previous limitations in aerial radiation reconnaissance capacity. Current helicopter models in the VSAT fleet—including two EC 120B Colibris (from 2002–2003), two EC 135s, and one EC 145 (from 2006)—lack the technical adaptations needed for wide-area monitoring and emergency response in case of incidents such as a nuclear accident at Belarus's Astravyets NPP.
