Latvian metalworking company Lenstream is donating to the Armed Forces of Ukraine a trailer it has developed in-house, unique in Europe, which allows concertina-type barbed wire up to one kilometre long to be deployed in a short time. The company hopes that the solution created in Latvia will help Ukrainian soldiers restrict enemy movement and strengthen defensive positions.
“The idea of developing a special trailer came from seeing how much time and manpower traditional deployment of protective wire requires. Our engineers created a product that allows the wire to be transported and deployed operationally exactly where it is needed at a given moment,” says Lenstream director Toms Šrāders.
A single trailer can hold up to one kilometre of protective wire, significantly reducing the time and number of people needed to deploy it. This is especially important under wartime conditions, when defensive positions must be reinforced in a very short time.
The project was carried out in cooperation with the company OTAN Group, which led the project and coordinated cooperation between Lenstream, the National Armed Forces (NAF) and the Defence Technology and Innovation Centre (ATIC). In developing the product, the focus was on soldiers' real operational needs, so all the parties involved – company engineers, military personnel and experts from other fields – worked closely together throughout development and testing.
The National Armed Forces leased the trailer prototype and tested it in real trials. After the tests, the company received very positive feedback and confirmation that such a solution would also be needed to strengthen Latvia's own defence capabilities. However, further cooperation became stuck in bureaucratic processes, and for a long time it remained unclear whether and when the trailer would actually be used in Latvia.
“We created this trailer for a specific need, not so that it would sit idle. The National Armed Forces' trials confirmed that the solution works and is needed. As the process failed to move forward for a long time, we decided to donate the trailer to Ukraine. There it can already have real, practical use – helping Ukrainian soldiers reinforce their positions, hold back the enemy and fight for victory,” emphasises T. Šrāders.
The trailer's design allows it to be transported conveniently and the protective wire to be deployed quickly and in a controlled way. This not only speeds up the creation of defensive obstacles, but also reduces the risk to the soldiers carrying out this work.
“We hope that the solution created in Latvia will provide real support to Ukrainian soldiers. At the same time, it will be an opportunity to test the trailer under wartime conditions and receive further feedback that will help improve the technology,” adds the Lenstream director.
“The success of this project is founded on close cooperation between industry, ATIC and the National Armed Forces. Throughout the whole development process, our main point of reference was soldiers' real operational needs. It was precisely the continuous communication between developers and military experts that made it possible to create a solution that meets real tactical and operational requirements,” says OTAN Group board member Toms Lepsis.
The project shows how research and development initiatives can bring together the engineering expertise of Latvian industry with the practical experience of the armed forces. Cooperation with ATIC was also essential, as it helped coordinate the parties involved and move forward the necessary administrative processes during the development and testing stages.
“We see significant potential for the product's further development and are already planning an improved version of the trailer, taking into account, among other things, the experience gained in Ukraine. At the same time, developing defence innovation in Latvia requires effective procurement mechanisms, so that local solutions reach the armed forces as quickly as possible. That would shorten the path from idea to practical use and strengthen both Latvia's defence capabilities and the competitiveness of local industry,” emphasises T. Lepsis.
The donation to the Armed Forces of Ukraine is being organised in cooperation with the charitable organisation Ziedot.lv.
Lenstream is a Latvia-based metalworking company specialising in the development and production of metal structures and individually tailored technical solutions. The company provides a full production cycle – from initial idea and prototype to finished product – and manufactures metal solutions for the defence, construction, aviation and machine-building industries.
OTAN Group is a Latvian defence and security technology company specialising in the integration of C4ISR systems, the deployment of defence technologies and military capability development projects in the Baltic states. The company works with the Latvian National Armed Forces, the armed forces of other NATO member states and international defence technology manufacturers.