The German Ministry of Defence announced on 16 September its decision to deploy four Eurofighter jets to the Lielvarde air base in central Latvia. The deployment will last approximately one week — from late September to early October, i.e. the period covering the day of the parliamentary elections on 3 October. The aircraft will come from the 74th Tactical Air Wing, based in Neuburg-on-the-Danube, and will operate as part of the expanded NATO mission as an element of the alliance's integrated air and missile defence system. Along with the equipment, several dozen military personnel will be sent to Latvia.
Reason: a series of drone incidents
The official reason for strengthening the air shield is the repeated incursions of drones into Latvian airspace. According to available data, in June NATO fighters shot down a foreign drone over the eastern part of the country, and another aircraft was destroyed in August. Earlier, on 23 May, a drone that exploded on contact with water fell into Lake Dridzis in the Kraslava region in eastern Latvia. It was this chain of events, reportedly, that triggered Riga's request for additional support from its NATO allies on the eve of the vote.
Ukraine's role and alliance exercises
Ukrainian specialists also took part in preparing to counter UAV attacks. It was reported that experts from the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC) advised their Latvian colleagues on countering drone threats during recent NATO exercises in Latvia. Thus, ahead of the elections, the country received both practical experience and operational reinforcement from its allies.
Significance for the alliance's security architecture
The deployment of German fighters fits the logic of NATO's collective defence: ahead of a key domestic political event in the Baltic link of the alliance, the density of air defence is temporarily increased. For Riga, this is a signal that allies are ready to guarantee the security of the airspace on the day when the composition of the new parliament is decided. For Berlin — a demonstration of readiness to shoulder the burden of defence obligations on the eastern flank amid heightened activity of drone threats.
