German Air Force Jets to Intercept Unidentified Russian Planes Near NATO Territory

Defense News ,Germany :-   In a historic move, two German Air Force jets initiated NATO's inaugural scramble from Lielvarde Air Base in Latvia to intercept two Russian planes detected flying in close proximity to NATO airspace.

The Latvian Control and Reporting Centre detected the Russian flights along the Latvian coast and promptly relayed the information to the Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany. Notably, the Russian military aircraft in question neither filed a flight plan nor maintained contact with Civilian Air Traffic Control, and they refrained from using transponders to disclose their identities.

The scramble order was issued shortly after Germany's Eurofighter Typhoons were put "on status" to execute air policing duties for the alliance. The German Eurofighter units intercepted the Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea, performing visual identification to ascertain their identity before escorting them out of the area.

Colonel Viesturs Masulis, the Latvian Air Force commander, emphasized the significance of the German interception, highlighting the importance of cooperation within the alliance. He stated, "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."

The interception underscores NATO's ongoing efforts to strengthen its eastern defenses in response to security concerns related to the Russo-Ukrainian war. In 2023, the United States contributed to this initiative by deploying four F-16 fighter jets to Fetesti Air Base in Romania to support NATO's air policing mission. Since 2004, the alliance has maintained the protection of its airspace through multinational deployments.