- Lithuania buys Saab Carl-Gustaf M4s and training kit for SEK 460m, deliveries 2026–2029
- Deal part of a 10-year agreement with options up to SEK 640m total
- M4 is a man-portable 84mm system used by 40+ countries, with ammo for vehicles, infantry and heavy armour
Lithuania has placed an order for Saab’s Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifle along with associated training equipment in a deal valued at SEK 460m ($48.9m), with deliveries planned 2026-2029.
According to a 20 May release from Saab, the order is part of a newly signed contract between the company and Lithuania, which allows for potential options collectively valued up to a total of SEK 640m.
The agreement is valid for ten years and includes Carl-Gustaf M4 weapons, sub-calibre adapters for the use of training ammunition and Carl-Gustaf Outdoor Trainers.
“We are proud to continue providing the Lithuanian forces with the highly effective capabilities of the Carl-Gustaf weapon together with our training equipment, enabling the soldiers to prepare for and carry out their missions safely and with confidence,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.
Operated by dismounted soldiers, the Carl-Gustaf M4 is a man-portable, shoulder-launched weapon system designed to use against a range of battlefield threats via multiple types of 84mm ammunition.
Unveiled in 2014, Slovakia became the first country to deploy the system following deliveries made in July 2017, with the current total operator base worldwide now numbering more than 40 countries.
Lithuania, like each of the Baltic States, is investing heavily in its military in an attempt to deter Russian aggression. According to the latest Nato estimates, the country was spending 4% of its GDP on defence in 2025, one of the highest proportions in the Alliance.
In recent days, Belarus, a key Russian ally, moved to restrict access to 19 forested areas along the borders with Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, an action typically taken in order to cover large-scale troop movements or military drills.
Carl-Gustaf M4: weapon and munitions
Measuring 1m in length and weighing 7kg, the Carl-Gustaf M4 is intended to be an operator-carried tactical weapon system, capable of engaging soft- and thick-skinned threats from 4x4s to armoured vehicles, with air-burst ammunition available for engaging dismounted personnel.
The system can currently fire multiple different types of ammunition, such as the 3.3kg 84mm HEDP 502/502 RS, which is a fin-stabilised, high-explosive, dual-purpose round optimised for fighting in built-up areas.
Effective against armoured vehicles as well as dismounted threats in urban areas, the 84mm HEDP 502/502 RS has an impact and delay mode, with an effective range of 500m.
For use against unprotected targets and soft-skinned vehicles, the 84mm HE 441D/441D RS can be fired to detonate on contact or as an airburst, with an effective range of 1,300m for direct strike, or 1,250m for area targets.
Recently, manufacturer Saab unveiled the new HEAT 758 munition, a tandem-charge Carl-Gustaf round to defeat explosive reactive armour and heavy armour (up to 700mm), typically used by Russian tanks and armoured vehicles.
