Latvia is working on solutions that will allow hostile drones entering its airspace to be neutralized as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible, Defence Minister Raivis Melnis said in an interview with Latvian Television’s Rīta panorāma programme.
The minister stressed that foreign drones must not be allowed to enter Latvian airspace and should be brought down whenever necessary.
Responding to concerns that regularly shooting down drones with expensive missiles would not be economically sustainable, Melnis emphasized that human lives cannot be measured in monetary terms and that every effort must be made to protect the population.
At the same time, he acknowledged that significant work is underway to develop more efficient and affordable counter-drone solutions. Melnis thanked Latvia’s defence industry for its efforts in developing counter-drone systems and revealed that
these technologies are currently undergoing successful testing.
According to the minister, authorities are working to integrate and deploy such systems along Latvia’s border so that incoming drones can be neutralized not with costly missiles, but primarily through inexpensive and effective counter-drone technologies developed by domestic industry.
As previously reported, French fighter jets participating in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a drone that had entered Latvian territory near Bērzgale Parish in Rēzekne Municipality on the 8th of June. The final decision to engage and destroy the drone was made by NATO command.
Following the incident, President Edgars Rinkēvičs stated that the successful interception demonstrated Latvia’s ability to respond to airspace violations, while also highlighting the need to improve operational efficiency. He stressed that Latvia must continue developing its own counter-drone and air-defence capabilities, describing this as a top national priority currently being addressed by all responsible institutions.
Rinkēvičs noted that similar incidents are likely to occur again in the future
and that response procedures and operational algorithms are being continuously refined.
Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has also argued that relying on fighter aircraft to intercept every drone entering Latvian or Baltic airspace would not be a practical long-term solution.
On the 9th of June, Kulbergs and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bilateral agreement on comprehensive defence cooperation aimed at enabling Latvia to benefit from Ukraine’s extensive experience in protecting airspace against drone attacks.
Under the agreement, Ukraine has committed to providing expertise and knowledge transfer, particularly in the fields of unmanned systems and air defence, sharing the unique military and civilian experience it has gained during the ongoing war.
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