Latvia has announced plans to complete the deployment of automated counter-drone systems along its entire eastern border by the end of September, Latvian Public Service Media reported.
The move followed a series of drone incursions that exposed gaps in Latvia’s border defenses.
An official review launched after the incidents identified shortcomings in early warning coverage and in drone detection and interception capabilities.
Defense Minister Raivis Melnis said the project will allow the border to be monitored and defended largely through automated systems, reducing the number of troops required on the ground.
However, the network still requires additional radar and command-and-control equipment before it becomes fully operational.
According to the minister, Latvia is negotiating with a foreign supplier to acquire the remaining radar systems, although he did not identify the country involved.
The new sensors will then be integrated into the country’s broader air defense architecture before the system is ready.
Melnis said ground-based counter-drone systems are Latvia’s first means of responding to incursions, with NATO aircraft providing a secondary interception capability when required.
NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission continuously monitors allied airspace and can deploy fighter aircraft to identify and intercept aerial threats when required.
Latvia, together with Lithuania and Estonia, supports the mission by providing air command-and-control infrastructure and personnel.
Drone Incursions
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Latvia has recorded several cases of drones entering or approaching its airspace.
Authorities believe many were Ukrainian aircraft pushed off course by Russian electronic warfare and jamming technologies.
In June, French fighter jets deployed under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace.
The interception followed another incident in May, when several drones entered Latvian airspace from Russia.
Two crashed near Rēzekne, a city in eastern Latvia about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Russian border, damaging an oil storage facility.
