By Rosa Jiménez
Lielvārde, Latvia, Oct 1 (EFE).- Spain is reinforcing air defenses in Latvia with a NASAMS anti-aircraft battery deployed at Lielvārde Air Base, as NATO and its Baltic allies strengthen surveillance and defense capabilities following a series of drone and airspace incidents in the region.
“It’s not just about responding when an attack occurs, but about preventing it. This NATO air defense mission is really aimed at deterrence, but deterrence has to be credible and we have to be in a position to employ the means if necessary,” said Commander Francisco Rubio, head of the NASAMS air defense unit.
Spain deployed the battery at Lielvārde Air Base, about 60 km from Riga, in June 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The surface-to-air system currently helps protect Baltic airspace alongside German Eurofighter jets and Canadian and Latvian helicopters, amid what NATO describes as increasingly frequent incursions by unmanned aerial systems and drones in the alliance’s airspace.
Such incidents have contributed to heightened tensions between Moscow and NATO.
The unit “is here in response to Spain’s commitment to its NATO allies” and to “reinforce the defense of European territory and the Alliance” against a wide range of threats, from drones to fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, Rubio said.
NATO has upgraded its air-policing mission in the Baltic region into a more integrated air-defense system.
At the same time, amid concerns over hybrid threats surrounding Latvia’s parliamentary elections on Saturday, surveillance has been increased.
Italian fighter jets are currently conducting patrols over the country from Šiauliai Air Base in northern Lithuania.
Multinational ground forces
Spain also maintains a contingent of around 600 soldiers at the Ādaži military base, about 25 km north of Riga.
They form part of NATO’s Multinational Brigade and operate equipment including Leopard 2E tanks and Pizarro infantry fighting vehicles.
“Air defense is not something static. It is not concentrated at one point or dependent on a single system, but rather it is an entire network covering an enormous volume of airspace,” said Sergeant Saúl Civeira Álvarez, launch chief of the NASAMS battery.
Once an aerial threat is detected, he explained, commanders determine the most appropriate response.
He described the system as part of a concept based on “complementary weapons.”
“We cannot pretend to have a single system that takes care of absolutely everything that can come to us from the air, because there are a large number of threats, speeds, and types of targets,” he said. “So what do we do? We have a large number of systems.”
The defensive missile battery can engage, within minutes, threats including cruise missiles, drones weighing more than 150 kg, and fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft.
The Latvian Armed Forces also operate domestically produced drones capable of conducting flights to visually identify potential threats and, if necessary, neutralize them.
Evolution of the threat
Latvian State Secretary for Defence Airis Rikveilis stressed at Lielvārde the need to prepare with NATO support “as threats continue to evolve,” particularly as the country approaches its parliamentary elections.
At the same time, he acknowledged that “capabilities alone are not enough.”
“Effective deterrence and defense require specialized personnel capable of operating, integrating, working side-by-side and maintaining these systems,” he said.
“NATO’s strength lies in the connectivity and integration of the air-defense systems of the Alliance’s allies. Although much has already been achieved, there is still much to do,” Rikveilis said, while thanking Spain, Canada and Germany for their military presence in Latvia.
“Your presence here is a credible response, exactly what is needed at this time in the face of a wide range of current and emerging threats,” he added.
Brigadier General Gunars Kaulinš, deputy chief of staff for operations at the Joint Headquarters of Latvia’s National Armed Forces, said the country must be prepared to deal with “fighter jets, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, as well as unmanned aerial systems,” noting that different threats could emerge “at any time and simultaneously.”
“Our task is to maintain readiness, strengthen our ability to act jointly and ensure that every element of our defense can perform its role when needed. It is, in short, about strength and unity,” said Colonel Edmunds Svenčs, commander of the Latvian Air Force. EFE
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