Lithuania's defence ministry is seeking to purchase body armour for the armed forces without going through standard public procurement procedures, bypassing the competitive tendering process normally required for major government contracts.
The Defence Materiel Agency plans to buy the vests from Safariland Lithuania, and the ministry has asked the government to approve the move.
Security exemption invoked
The ministry argues the exemption is permitted under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which allows member states to take measures deemed necessary to protect essential security interests connected to the production of, or trade in, arms, munitions and war materiel.
It says the vests will offer Level IV protection under the US National Institute of Justice standard – the highest rating of ballistic protection under that system, designed to stop a range of military-grade ammunition.
