Two German Air Force jets have conducted NATO’s 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 Germany’s Eurofighter Typhoons went “on status” to conduct air policing for the alliance.
Airborne Approach
Germany’s Eurofighter units intercepted Russia’s 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 Colonel Viesturs Masulis said Germany’s interception marked the importance of cooperation within the alliance.
“This first alert take-off of German Eurofighters from Lielvarde showcases NATO’s ability and commitment to deter and, if necessary, defend Allied airspace. We are aware and ready 24/7 of potential threats to our territory,” he shared.
NATO Air Policing
NATO has recently reinforced its eastern defenses due to security concerns over the nearby Russo-Ukrainian war.
In 2023, the US sent four F-16 fighter jets to Fetesti Air Base in Romania to aid in NATO’s air policing mission.
The alliance has guarded its airspace through multinational deployments since 2004.