Giraitė Armament Factory is entering a new phase: the production of bullets becomes completely self-sufficient
The only cartridge manufacturer in the Baltic states AB Giraitė Armament Factory starts operating military, sniper bullet and lead core formation presses. With the acquisition of this equipment, the company completes an important stage in the modernisation of the production process, which will allow AB Giraitė Armament Factory to self-produce all the bullets necessary for the production of cartridges.
Minister of Finance Kristupas Vaitiekūnas, after his visit to Giraitė Armament Factory on Friday, said that the company's production and technological development was of strategic importance to the State.
“The Ministry, acting as an active shareholder, seeks that the company's development runs smoothly and the reliable supply of ammunition to the Lithuanian Armed Forces and allies is ensured. The new equipment will allow the company to self-control the entire production process. This means that Giraitė Armament Factory will be able to balance the productivity of all production chains and to increase production efficiency, which will help to reduce the cost of cartridges and to ensure stable profitability and competitive advantage on the market”, Minister of Finance K. Vaitiekūnas said.
Due to insufficient production capacity, part of the bullets (approximately 40-45%) AB Giraitė Armament Factory has so far been forced to purchase from other producers. Following the implementation of the first phase of production expansion in 2022-2023 and the increase of the cartridge assembly capacity, one critical narrow area remained in the production process – the assembly of bullets. This posed a risk to the quality assurance of the cartridges, and the cost of the bullets purchased was 20-40% higher than that of self-produced bullets.
Cartridges with a self-made sniper bullet will successfully compete with the world's most famous manufacturers, and their quality will match the highest level of accuracy and reliability.
“In order to fully stabilise the production process and to reduce dependence on external suppliers, in the last couple of years we had invested in the production chain of bullets. The purchase of modern presses is an important step on the way to strengthening our production autonomy. We will continue our targeted investments in advanced technologies and production efficiency improvement in order to remain a reliable partner for the Lithuanian State, military and international clients”, Manager of AB Giraitė Armament Factory Mindaugas Kurauskas said.
Investments in both facilities amounted to EUR 2.645 million and were implemented using the company's own and borrowed funds.
For more than two decades, AB Giraitė Armament Factory has focused on the production of the highest quality cartridges, which is recognized on the international market. The company not only expands production volumes, but also actively participates in international initiatives related to the development of the defence industry, its production is exported to more than 30 countries. The company’s strategic objective is to expand capacity, to raise foreign investments, to diversify production and to ensure security of supply.
The shareholder of AB Giraitė Armament Factory is the Lithuanian State, which owns 100% of the shares. The rights and duties of the shareholder are exercised by the Ministry of Finance, which today acts as the main financial and strategic partner of the defence industry. The Ministry of Finance is also involved in strengthening the defence industry by investing in local production capacities, developing financial instruments such as defence funds, defence bonds, State guarantees, developing the concept of defence industry holding uniting strategic companies and investment flows, cooperating with global partners such as Rheinmetall, Northrop Grumman, NAMMO on technology transfer and investments.
Last updated: 24-03-2026
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