After the declaration of Lithuania to be an independent state on February 16, 1918, the most urgent task of the new government was to organize a military force that could repel enemy armies that were coming from all sides.

The first aircraft (Sopwith 1½ Strutter) was taken by the Lithuanian military from the Red Army, on February 5, 1919, at the city of Jieznas.

Later during the interwar period, Lithuania had its native ANBO series of aircraft built by the Lithuanian designers Jurgis Dobkevičius and Antanas Gustaitis.

The pilot of the aircraft, Juozas Kumpis, commander of Lithuania's First Air Squadron, was severely injured and died as prisoner of the Polish military.

The Lithuanian Air Force supported and encouraged various aeronautics related activities, such as the sport of gliding.

A total of 117 aircraft and 230 pilots and observers were listed in the books by mid-1940, at the moment of occupation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union.

[6] On 12 June 1992, the first time after regaining the independence of Lithuania, An-2 aircraft, marked with the double cross of Vytis on its wings – the distinguishing sign of Lithuanian Air Force – took off from Barysiai airfield.

From 1995 to 1999, the First Aviation Base was relocated to Zokniai aerodrome nearby Šiauliai, which was used for fighter wing, radio-electronic fight and reconnaissance squadrons dislocation during the Soviet occupation.

[7] Furthermore, a complex program of capital overhaul, upgrade and modernisation of the Air Force's helicopters Mi-8 and twin engine short-range transport aircraft L-410 was conducted.

[10] In April 2024, Lithuanian Air Force donated a decommissioned, disassembled Aero L-39ZA Albatros to Ukraine.

[13] The staff, aircraft and equipment of the Air Base has participated in many international training missions abroad and at home.

The appropriate legal documentation of the BALTNET project was developed, the Reciprocal Memorandum of Understanding concerning military personnel training was signed among Lithuanian, Estonian, Latvian, and Danish Ministries of Defence.

Military personnel from all the three Baltic States serve as air surveillance operators at the centre and rotate according to national timetables.

NATO members provide usually four fighter aircraft, based in Lithuania, to police the Baltic States’ airspace.

[14] In October 2020, the Air Force announced the decision to purchase four Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the US.

[19] Previous aircraft operated by the Air Force consisted of the Aero L-39, An-2 Colt, An-26 Curl, PZL-104 Wilga, Mi-8/Mi-17 and Mil Mi-2.