Lithuania teaches children to fly drones on border with Russia
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- Lithuania opened drone schools for ages 10+ to build defensive capabilities near Russia and Belarus, reflecting security concerns.
- Students will learn to fly, assemble, and program FPV, quadcopter, and single-wing drones, according to Mindaugas Tamosaitis.
- This follows NATO's increased eastern flank defence plans after Russian drone incursions into Lithuania and Poland this summer.
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TAURAGE, Lithuania – On the border with Russia, Lithuania’s Defence Ministry has launched the first of what will be nine schools around the country teaching children as young as 10 and adults how to fly, assemble and programme drones.
“It’s all about building military defensive capabilities, which Lithuania is taking very seriously, living in the neighbourhood with Russia and Belarus,” said Deputy Defence Minister Tomas Godliauskas.
Children and others will be taught to operate first-person view (FPV), quadcopter and single-wing drones, said teacher Mindaugas Tamosaitis.
At the school in Taurage, 20km from Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave, children practised virtual flights on computers. A boy at the training range was practising flying a mini drone up and down, supervised by the teachers and sometimes crashing it on the floor.
The children are enthusiastic, said their teacher.
Nato member Lithuania asked the alliance to strengthen its air defence after two Russian drones crashed there after crossing from Belarus this summer.
Nato on Sept 12 announced plans to beef up the defence shot down drones
Teacher Mindaugas Lukosaitis helping a student on Sept 16 learn how to fly drones during Air Tech, a national drone education initiative in Lithuania.
PHOTO: REUTERS
