๐๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ช๐จ๐จ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐พ๐ก๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฎ
Two German Air Force jets haveย conductedย NATOโs first-ever scramble from Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia, to escort two Russian planes flying close to NATO territory.
The Russian flights by the Latvian coast were reported by the Latvian Control and Reporting Centre, which relayed the information to the Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem, Germany.
The Russian military aircraft did not file a flight plan, were not in contact with Civilian Air Traffic Control, and did not use transponders to reveal their identities.
The scramble was ordered just a few hours after Germanyโs Eurofighter Typhoons went โon statusโ toย conduct air policing for the alliance.
Airborne Approach
Germanyโs Eurofighter units intercepted Russiaโs aircraft over the Baltic Sea and conducted visual identification to confirm the identity of the aircraft before escorting them out of the area.
Latvian Air Force commander Colonelย Viesturs Masulisย said Germanyโs interception marked the importance of cooperation within the alliance.
โThis first alert take-off of German Eurofighters from Lielvarde showcases NATOโs ability and commitment to deter and, if necessary, defend Allied airspace. We are aware and ready 24/7 of potential threats to our territory,โ he shared.
NATO Air Policing
NATO has recently reinforced its eastern defenses due to security concerns over the nearby Russo-Ukrainian war.
In 2023, theย US sent four F-16 fighter jets to Fetesti Air Base in Romaniaย to aid in NATOโs air policing mission.
The alliance has guarded its airspace through multinationalย deploymentsย since 2004.