Latvia will soon receive several new radars for air defense systems, which were selected based on recommendations from the Ukrainian side. This was stated by the Commander of the National Armed Forces of Latvia, Kaspars Pudāns, as reported by Latvian Radio and UNN.
Details
According to Pudāns, air defense units in the country are currently primarily focused on protecting major cities and critical infrastructure, so airspace coverage remains uneven. This is how he explained the incident where a previously undetected drone fell and exploded in Lake Drīdzis in Latgale.
Latvia strengthens drone defense
The Commander of the NAF noted that the threat from low-altitude and slow drones has become particularly relevant only in the last few years. According to him, for more effective protection, the country needs additional radars, modern acoustic detection systems, and autonomous technical solutions for airspace control.
"We need to find new solutions, additional radars that can focus specifically on low-altitude objects. Obviously, we will also have to address the issue of their placement—positioning them as densely as possible,"
Pudāns also emphasized that some of the anti-drone equipment already used by the Latvian army is similar to that used by the Ukrainian military. Against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, Latvia does not rule out new cases of airspace violations by drones near the border.
Drone explodes after falling into Lake Drīdzis in Latvia23.05.26, 16:17