WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Germany will send four Eurofighter Typhoons and several dozen personnel to Latvia during its Oct. 3 parliamentary election.
- The one week mission follows Latvia’s request for allied help securing its airspace amid repeated unauthorized drone incursions.
- Italian NATO jets recently shot down a suspected drone made in Russia after it entered Lithuania from Belarus.
- Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania lack their own fighter aircraft and depend on NATO allies for air policing.
Germany will deploy four Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Latvia during the country’s upcoming parliamentary election as concern remains high over unauthorized drone incursions from neighboring Russia and Belarus.
The aircraft will operate from Lielvārde air base in central Latvia.
Several dozen German soldiers and technicians will accompany the fighters, according to a statement from the German ministry of defense.
The German contingent will remain at the base for one week in late September and early October.
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Latvia’s parliamentary election is scheduled for Oct. 3, placing the deployment directly around the voting period.
Latvian authorities requested assistance from allied countries to help secure the nation’s skies during the general election.
Germany answered that request with a focused deployment of aircraft and personnel.
The mission is being conducted as part of NATO’s enhanced air policing north, known as eAPN, in the Baltic States.
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Its limited duration and election focus distinguish it from the alliance’s regular presence in the region.
Routine NATO air policing rotations generally last four months. Germany’s planned mission, by comparison, will last only one week and is specifically connected to Latvia’s request for election security support.
Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania do not possess fighter aircraft of their own.
The three small Baltic States therefore rely on NATO allies to provide fighter coverage and secure their airspace.
Unlike Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south, Latvia does not normally host permanently stationed NATO jets.
Allied fighters positioned in Latvia’s neighboring countries also cover Latvian skies under the alliance’s air policing structure.
The Baltic States have repeatedly called for firm NATO commitments along the alliance’s eastern flank.
Governments in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania feel particularly threatened by Russia and have pushed for strong security measures.
Repeated unauthorized drone incursions this year have placed the three countries under additional pressure.
The incidents have sharpened concerns over what may enter their airspace from areas near Russia and Belarus.
Some of the aircraft involved in those incursions were identified as Ukrainian drones that strayed from their intended targets in Russia.
Other drone incidents remain unidentified, leaving authorities without a stated origin for every intrusion.
Concerns rose again this week when Italian NATO jets in neighboring Lithuania shot down a suspected drone made in Russia.
The aircraft had crossed the Lithuanian border after approaching from Belarus.
That incident marked the first time a drone was shot down in Lithuanian airspace.
It also occurred shortly before Germany’s temporary Eurofighter deployment to Latvia for the Oct. 3 parliamentary election.
Lielvārde air base has previously hosted rotating fighter contingents from other NATO countries. The facility will now receive Germany’s four Eurofighter Typhoons, along with the soldiers and technicians required to support their weeklong mission.
Two Turkish F-16 fighter jets visited Lielvārde in late August, only a few weeks before the announced German deployment.
French Rafale jets operating from Šiauliai, Lithuania, also visited the Latvian airfield in April.
NATO has additionally used Lielvārde for its AWACS aircraft during missions conducted along the Russian border.
The base has therefore supported fighter visits as well as alliance surveillance aircraft operating in the region.
Latvia and its two Baltic neighbors have belonged to NATO since 2004. Their membership began alongside fellow countries on the alliance’s eastern flank, including Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria, as well as Slovenia.
Germany’s deployment places a concentrated NATO fighter presence inside Latvia during the election window.
Four Eurofighters and their supporting personnel will provide the requested airspace protection before concluding the limited mission in early October.
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