Germany to send fighter jets to Latvia during election amid drone threat
BERLIN — Germany will deploy Eurofighter jets to Latvia to help protect its airspace during next month’s parliamentary election as repeated drone incursions have raised security concerns along NATO’s eastern flank.
Four German Eurofighters will be sent to the Lielvārde Air Base in central Latvia for about a week from late September into early October, Germany’s defense ministry said Wednesday. The ministry added that Latvia had requested additional support from its NATO allies to secure its airspace ahead of the Oct. 3 vote.
The Latvian defense ministry did not immediately respond to POLITICO’s request for comment.
Latvia has experienced several drone incidents this year. NATO fighters shot down a foreign drone over the east of the country in June, while another drone was destroyed in August. Authorities later said the August aircraft was Ukrainian and had likely entered Latvian airspace from Belarus after being affected by Russian electronic warfare.
Latvia’s defense ministry has warned that further foreign drones could infringe on its airspace as long as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.
The German jets, from Tactical Air Wing 74 in Neuburg an der Donau, will operate under NATO’s enhanced Air Policing North mission, which forms part of the alliance’s integrated air and missile defense system. Germany will also deploy several dozen personnel.
Germany separately announced that five Eurofighters and around 120 troops will deploy to Ämari in Estonia from December through March for a regular NATO air policing rotation. That will be Germany’s seventh such mission to that part of Estonia.
