#latvian air force

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

First two Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters delivered to Latvian Air Force, Latvia, December 11, 2022. Source:   Ģenerālleitnants Leonīds Kalniņš

Quote: / DSCA, August 03, 2018 - WASHINGTON - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Latvia of four (4) UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $200 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. The Government of Latvia has requested to buy: - 4 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters in standard USG configuration with designated unique equipment and Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), - 10 T700-GE-701D engines (8 installed and 2 spares), - 10 Embedded Global Positioning Systems/Inertial Navigation Systems (8 installed and 2 spares). Also included is one (1) Aviation Mission Planning System, five (5) Talon Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) (4 production and 1 spare), ten (10) AN/ARC-201D/E (8 production and 2 spares), ten (10) AN/ARC-231 radios (8 production and 2 spares), five (5) AN/APX-123A Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponder (4 production and 1 spare), five (5) AN/ARC-220 Radio (4 production and 1 spare), twenty (20) AN/AVS-6 Helmet Mounted Night Vision Devices, aircraft warranty, air worthiness support, spare and repair parts, support equipment, communication equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, ground support equipment, site surveys, tool and test equipment, U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total case value is $200 million./ Source: https://www.helis.com/database/news/latvia-uh-60m-black-hawk/

[captain-price-unofficially]

Latvian Air Force AN-2 in grey digicamo

[unhonestlymirror]

News about Latvia from "Soviet Belorussia" channel (satirical, after all. Thanks god):

"The forged boot of the Latvian military cynically trampled the land of Belarus! A penetration of 2.37 meters was recorded." - you want to be trampled by Latvia so bad it makes you look stupid.

"🇱🇻The profession of Nazi rehabilitation specialist has appeared in Latvia!"

"🇱🇻There are no cars in Latvia! The roads are overgrown with weeds, which hungry Latvians feed on."

"🇱🇻 Homosexual single Latvians roam around Latvia and attack packs of Russian-speaking heterosexuals! Is this the kind of future you want?"

Look closer at reactions:

🇱🇻For Russian-speaking non-citizens of Latvia, the tax on inhaled air will be increased by 2.5% and on exhaled air by 4.9%

🇱🇻️In Baranovichi, a “portal to Latvia” opened right in the middle of the road. It was dug up by hungry Latvians. ⚠️Attention! Don't throw food there!⚠️"

"🇱🇻President of Latvia Egils Levits said that Latvians have a colour allergy to the symbolism of the St. George ribbon and the Russian language is physiologically incompatible with the structure of their jaw"

"🇱🇻There is an epidemic of cystitis in Latvia. There is nothing and no one to treat it"

"🇱🇻In Latvia, they started training service dogs to identify people with Russian passports"

"🩸President of Latvia Egils Levits proposed to disperse the academy of young journalists because of an interview with Lukashenko, and to transfuse the blood of child journalists to NATO military personnel"

"🦗Father and son, who are in Latvia, entered the Belarusian embassy and asked for food. They refuse to leave until they are fed. There are practically no survivors in Latvia itself" - July 11th, 2022

"🇱🇻Mass protests broke out in Latvia due to the repeal of the law on forced sterilization of Russian speakers"

[usafphantom2]

Latvian Air Base becomes NATO's third Air Police base in the Baltic Sea region

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 03/05/2024 - 09:00 in Military

As of March 1, 2024, the Latvian Military Base in Lielvarde was activated as the third NATO base to host Allied fighter detachments that will protect the skies of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, conducting the Baltic Air Police mission.

As a symbol of friendship, Colonel Viesturs Masulis, Head of the Air Force of Latvia, presents Lieutenant Colonel Swen Jacob and his detachment with a piece of black bread. (Photo: Arnaud Chamberlin)

At a ceremony held on March 2, 2024, representatives of Latvia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, the United States and NATO officially inaugurated the role of the base in NATO's regional Air Police stance. Due to the runway and infrastructure works at Ämari Air Base that will last until the end of the year, Latvia - in close cooperation with Estonia and Germany - has created the structural conditions in Lielvarde for rapid reaction alert tasks 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, under the aegis of NATO. Until November, a German Eurofighters detachment will carry out this mission.

— Team Luftwaffe (@Team_Luftwaffe) March 1, 2024

An inspection team from NATO's Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany, responsible for supervising the Alliance's Air Policing throughout northern Europe, has officially certified that the command and control process is in place in Lielvarde - from the first alert to the launch of the fighters and the presentation of the final mission report.

"This is a memorable day for Latvia and NATO. For the first time, NATO Air Policing will be carried out from the Lielvarde Air Base," said Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spr? ds. "We are grateful to all the Allies who contributed their forces to this mission of shielding the airspace of NATO and our people. Air domain is essential for the deterrence and defense of the Allies. The ability to carry out the mission from various locations clearly shows that NATO's integrated air and anti-missile defense can be agile, fast and credible in the defense of our airspace,” he added.

— Team Luftwaffe (@Team_Luftwaffe) March 2, 2024

"For almost 20 years - since Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined NATO in 2004 - the principle of collective defense has been implemented in the Baltic States, and this mission has now physically reached Lielvarde, which means that NATO has three operational bases for detachments. - one in each Baltic ally," said Major General Harold van Pee, commander of the CAOC Uedem. “Both Latvia and Germany did an excellent job in quickly preparing the air base for combat aircraft jobs, as was demonstrated yesterday, when the German detachment managed to make its first alert a few hours after formally assuming the status for the first time,” he added referring to the first German takeoff from Lielvarde to intercept Russian military aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea.

— Team Luftwaffe (@Team_Luftwaffe) March 1, 2024

The ceremony was another opportunity to highlight the collective effort of the Allies in the region. “In the current ever-evolving security environment, NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission plays a crucial role in deterring potential threats, safeguarding the integrity of airspace and promoting regional stability,” said Colonel Viesturs Masulis, Commander of the Latvian Air Force. "It serves as a visible demonstration of our collective determination to defend ourselves against any threat; therefore, we have the honor of receiving and hosting the German Luftwaffe while it operates its Eurofighters from Lielvarde Air Base, ensuring safe skies. I would like to thank the Polish Air Force for its support of the Ämari Air Base mission in Estonia. Thank you for helping to protect our airspace during the last few months,” he added.

With the activation of Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia allows NATO to continue to use two air bases for Air Police in the region. In the meantime, Ämari Air Base will be used for the deployment of Germany's Detachable Control and Reporting Center, which, from mid-March to the end of June 2024, will increase NATO's surveillance and control capacity in the Baltic Sea region. During this period, German air traffic controllers will be integrated into the control and communication centers in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Tags: Military AviationEurofighter TyphoonLuftwaffe - German Air ForceNATO - Air Police Mission

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[beardedmrbean]

KAUNAS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda condemned violations of NATO airspace by the aggressor and called for strengthening air defense in the Baltic countries following the crash of a Russian military drone in Latvia on Saturday.

“Lithuania condemns Russia's violations of NATO airspace and supports the allies affected,” Nauseda posted on X on Sunday.

“The new incident in Latvia shows that we need to strengthen the air defense of the Baltic States. The rotational model of air defense must be adapted as agreed at the [NATO] summit in Vilnius,” the Lithuanian leader stressed.

An unmanned aerial vehicle crashed in the Rezekne region on Saturday, the Latvian Defense Ministry reported.

The ministry pointed out that according to the initial data, this was a Russian drone of military significance and, according to the information available to the National Armed Forces (NBS), it flew into Latvian airspace from Belarus.

According to the ministry, the State Police and the National Armed Forces continue to investigate the circumstances of the incident, which was reported to NATO allies and respective EU authorities.

Foreign Minister Baiba Braze said that a representative of the Russian Embassy had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Monday.

"Russia's war in Ukraine requires us not to lose vigilance. Today, a similar incident happened in Romania. We are vigilant, decisive, cool-minded, weighing our next steps, involving allies," she said in a press release.

Fellow NATO member Romania said on Sunday that a Russian attack drone targeting civilian infrastructure in neighboring Ukraine overnight had entered its airspace.

Bucharest strongly condemned the "renewed violation" brought on by Moscow's "illegal attacks" while its foreign ministry said it had informed its NATO allies about the airspace breach.

[mariacallous]

BRUSSELS—European officials and experts are concerned that Russia could exploit the chaos surrounding the Hamas attack on Israel, pushing the Kremlin even closer to Iran, which is allied with the Palestinian militant group. 

There is no sign that Russia provided material support—or even had advance notice—prior to the surprise attack on Saturday, which has left at least 900 Israelis dead and scores more kidnapped and taken into the Gaza Strip, where Israel has begun retaliatory strikes. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that he’d ordered a full siege of the area. “No power, no food, no gas, everything is closed,” he said.

But Hamas receives significant backing from Iran, an increasingly close ally of the Kremlin that has provided thousands of suicide drones for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The attack on Israel, one of America’s closest allies, not only has created the possibility of a two-front war in the Middle East but has also stretched U.S. and European armories and political willpower. The crisis comes at a time when the West was already having trouble summoning more ammunition and money to support Ukraine’s counteroffensive. 

The “Russians would be interested in fragmenting the West and creating additional problems,” former Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said. “It all has to be done simultaneously. [The] Russians hope somebody will say it’s too hard.”

Russia is likely to tread lightly, given long-standing historical and diplomatic connections to Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin have forged close ties over the years, with the Kremlin supporting Israel’s concerns over Hezbollah tunnels dug from Lebanon under the Israeli border and even forming a joint task force to discuss withdrawing all foreign troops from Syria. 

The Kremlin has not condemned the Hamas attack. Israel has also stopped short of a full-throated condemnation of Russia’s war on Ukraine and took a neutral stance on Russia’s illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, before condemning the move four years later. 

Hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens reside in Israel, and around 1.5 million Israelis speak Russian. Israel has backed Ukraine diplomatically but has not provided weapons despite its $12 billion arms industry. Russia is hoping Israel will continue to stay out of the fray in that war, said Jonathan Lord, a senior fellow and director of the Middle East security program at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank. “However, if Russia’s back is further and further up against a wall in Ukraine, Iran will be in a position to demand more,” such as asking Russia for air defense systems for itself or for its proxies; for advanced fighter jets; or even for help in filling gaps in its nuclear program. 

“That’s going to have direct repercussions on Israeli security and the security of the region,” Lord said.

Though the United States has already pledged more support for Israel, the European response wasn’t immediately clear. On Monday, European countries are expected to huddle internally about the prospect of providing military aid to Israel, but many officials fear their governments are already tapped out from Ukraine. “We face a huge ammo shortage due to Ukraine,” said one German official who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

European officials hope that Israel’s declaration of war will be a wake-up call for the continent about the threat of terrorism emanating from the Palestinian territories, which has gone on the back burner as Europe has focused on providing aid and centering its counterterrorism posture on Africa. “I hope the EU will drop any illusions regarding Palestine and the ruling powers there,” said a European diplomat speaking on the condition of anonymity. The European diplomat expressed particular concern about the Tehran-Russia link.

Pabriks, the former Latvian defense minister, said European governments are likely to help Israel assess the country’s intelligence failures in the lead-up to Hamas’s attack and determine which countries helped support the militant group. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Iran helped Hamas prepare for the attack and gave the green light for the assault a week ago. Iran’s conventional ground game has improved exponentially in the last decade. 

Michael Doran, an expert at the Hudson Institute, told Foreign Policy that Iran’s Quds Force, a special unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that has helped build battle-ready proxies for Tehran around the Middle East, had assisted Hamas in improving its tactical acumen. Hamas was able to breach the Gaza fence and overrun Israeli villages, using paragliders and homemade rockets against one of the most technologically advanced militaries in the world. 

Austria announced on Monday that it would suspend all Palestinian aid—nearly $20 million—in response to the Hamas attack. Germany and the European Union both followed suit in suspending aid. But even after the Israeli flag was splashed on London’s Buckingham Palace and Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate over the weekend, experts are worried that support for Israel could fade as it faces ongoing questions about its human rights record in the Palestinian territories.

“They need to support Israel politically when the going gets rough,” Doran said. “This operation in Gaza will take time, and Hamas will try to ratchet up the pressure. Expect pro-Palestine rallies in European capitals and videos from Gaza of European hostages begging to come home if only Israel will stop its military operations.” 

“Europe stands in solidarity with Israel today, but where will it be three weeks from now?” Doran added. 

Israel will have to keep its front-line guns reloaded for the coming ground invasion but will also need a stockpile of precision-guided munitions to try to dislodge Hamas in Gaza while dealing with the risk of friendly fire, as Israeli citizens and foreigners are being held hostage in one of the most densely populated areas in the world. 

Right now, with no U.S. speaker of the House in place to shepherd more weapons to Israel through Congress after Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted last week, the United States is directing what assistance it can from the White House. Israel has asked for more Iron Dome missile interceptors, ammunition, small diameter bombs, and closer intelligence cooperation ahead of a likely ground invasion of Gaza, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.

The United States has already approved Israel’s use of prepositioned stockpiles of U.S.-made precision-guided munitions in the region and announced on Sunday that it would send the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, four guided missile destroyers, and a guided missile cruiser to the Eastern Mediterranean. The Defense Department will also deploy squadrons of F-35s, F-15s, F-16s, and A-10 ground attack aircraft.

In NATO countries, close U.S. allies see Israel’s war—another challenge on top of supporting Ukraine’s defense—as the ultimate test of walking and chewing gum. And between Russia and Iran, it’s also a test of their new alliance.

“They’ve become allies with Iran, perhaps the closest of allies, and are helping each other with this Hamas attack on Israel,” said retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, who commanded U.S. forces in Europe.

[nawapon17]

German Eurofighters, Swedish Gripens intercept Russian fighters near Latvian airspace

[cyberbenb]

NATO jets scrambled after Russian Su-30s detected near Latvian airspace

The German and Swedish air forces scrambled NATO jets on Aug. 3 after two Russian jets were detected heading toward Latvian airspace over the Baltic Sea. The German Air Force reported that the jets fr Source : kyivindependent.com/nato-jets…

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.14 (after 1900)

1900 – Hawaii becomes a United States territory. 1900 – The second German Naval Law calls for the Imperial German Navy to be doubled in size, resulting in an Anglo-German naval arms race. 1907 – The National Association for Women's Suffrage succeeds in getting Norwegian women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. 1919 – John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown depart from St. John's, Newfoundland on the first nonstop transatlantic flight. 1926 – Brazil leaves the League of Nations. 1937 – Pennsylvania becomes the first (and only) state of the United States to celebrate Flag Day officially as a state holiday. 1937 – U.S. House of Representatives passes the Marihuana Tax Act. 1940 – World War II: The German occupation of Paris begins. 1940 – The Soviet Union presents an ultimatum to Lithuania resulting in Lithuanian loss of independence. 1940 – Seven hundred and twenty-eight Polish political prisoners from Tarnów become the first inmates of the Auschwitz concentration camp. 1941 – June deportation: the first major wave of Soviet mass deportations and murder of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians, begins. 1944 – World War II: After several failed attempts, the British Army abandons Operation Perch, its plan to capture the German-occupied town of Caen. 1945 – World War II: Filipino troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army liberate the captured in Ilocos Sur and start the Battle of Bessang Pass in Northern Luzon. 1949 – Albert II, a rhesus monkey, rides a V-2 rocket to an altitude of 134 km (83 mi), thereby becoming the first mammal and first monkey in space. 1950 – An Air France Douglas DC-4 crashes near Bahrain International Airport, killing 40 people. This came two days after another Air France DC-4 crashed in the same location. 1951 – UNIVAC I is dedicated by the U.S. Census Bureau. 1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a bill into law that places the words "under God" into the United States Pledge of Allegiance. 1955 – Chile becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty. 1959 – Disneyland Monorail System, the first daily operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere, opens to the public in Anaheim, California. 1962 – The European Space Research Organisation is established in Paris – later becoming the European Space Agency. 1966 – The Vatican announces the abolition of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum ("index of prohibited books"), which was originally instituted in 1557. 1967 – Mariner program: Mariner 5 is launched towards Venus. 1972 – Japan Airlines Flight 471 crashes on approach to Palam International Airport (now Indira Gandhi International Airport) in New Delhi, India, killing 82 of the 87 people on board and four more people on the ground. 1982 – Falklands War: Argentine forces in the capital Stanley conditionally surrender to British forces. 1985 – Five member nations of the European Economic Community sign the Schengen Agreement establishing a free travel zone with no border controls. 1986 – The Mindbender derails and kills three riders at the Fantasyland (known today as Galaxyland) indoor amusement park at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta. 1994 – The 1994 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot occurs after the New York Rangers defeat the Vancouver Canucks to win the Stanley Cup, causing an estimated C$1.1 million, leading to 200 arrests and injuries. 2002 – Near-Earth asteroid 2002 MN misses the Earth by 75,000 miles (121,000 km), about one-third of the distance between the Earth and the Moon. 2014 – A Ukraine military Ilyushin Il-76 airlifter is shot down, killing all 49 people on board. 2017 – A fire in a high-rise apartment building in North Kensington, London, UK, leaves 72 people dead and another 74 injured. 2017 – US Republican House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, and three others, are shot and wounded while practicing for the annual Congressional Baseball Game.

[militaryleak]

Finnish and Swedish Air Force Continue Integration Training with NATO Partners

The air forces of Finland and Sweden have conducted flying maneouvres over the Baltic Sea and in the Baltic States' airspace practicing interoperability, integration and refuelling drills with other Allied air forces. During combined flights and air-to-air combat drills over the Baltic Sea and in Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian airspace at the end of March, Finnish and Swedish fighter pilots trained with their colleagues from France, Belgium, Germany and Poland. In addition to Finnish F/A-18s, the mission involved Swedish, French, Belgian, German and Polish fighter jets as well as a NATO AWACS aircraft. The fighter jets refuelled from German Airbus A400M Atla military transport aircraft and Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU) irbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). Under the responsibility of the Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem, NATO has conducted Finland-Sweden Training Events for several years aiming at integrating the two Nordic Allies when they were Partners. The continuation of this regular training opportunity supports firming up integration and enables constant close cooperation among Allied Air Forces in the Baltic Sea region. #military #defense #defence #militaryleak #nato #Finland #Sweden

The air forces of Finland and Sweden have conducted flying maneouvres over the Baltic Sea and in the Baltic States’ airspace practicing interoperability, integration and refuelling drills with other Allied air forces. During combined flights and air-to-air combat drills over the Baltic Sea and in Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian airspace at the end of March, Finnish and Swedish fighter pilots…

[georgemcginn]

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Latvian Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds

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[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

The [Latvian] Air Force has been supplemented with two ultra-light aircraft manufactured in Latvia

LTV Ziņu dienests

The National Armed Forces received two new aircraft shortly before the national holiday. The new aircraft are manufactured right here in Latvia. The planes are very manoeuvrable, can reach speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour and consume a relatively small amount of fuel(..)  [Aircraft manufactured in Latvia are the fastest aircraft of this type in the world. This is the company's first experience in cooperation with the military sphere, which turned out to be very successful. Airplanes for private individuals have been produced so far.]

[20thpresidium]

We’re sorry to see you go…

10 March 1956

Alarmed by the Presidium’s action to bomb the Roman Catholic Church, the people of Kishinev have seen the true colours of this “socialist” government.

On the fateful morning of 10 March 1956, the people of Kishinev conducted an organised coup to overthrow the communist party in Moldavian SSR. Comrade Podgorny was able to fled the scene soon enough, and sought refuge in Moscow before he was deployed to be the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Latvian SSR. The CPC does not blame him, for it is a collective mistake on the Presidium for their inaction. Given the intricacies of the situation in Kishinev, this, while devastating, is understandable.

For now, Moldavia, now named as Moldova, has unilaterally declared their secession from the USSR. This decision was backed by Romania, after seeing their brothers suffer. While Romania is still a member of the Warsaw Pact, the number of troops she has dedicated to the ground forces have significantly decreased, leaving only one air base and one military base for the eastern world’s use.

Moscow has been trying to contain this news to all of the other SSRs. It is time we act before other republics follow suit.

[eurovisionsocialnewswire]

LATVIA: Training exercise with US and NATO armed forces takes place in Latvia

U.S. armed forces have taken part in a training exercise with their Latvian and Polish counterparts to increase the effectiveness of NATO allies. The soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment “Red Currahee,” 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), undertook a force-on-force situational training exercise at Camp Adazi, Latvia, the U.S. Department of…

[usafphantom2]

Hours after taking over NATO mission, German Eurofighters intercept Russian aircraft

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 04/03/2024 - 09:00 in Interceptions, Military

On the morning of 1º March, just a few hours after entering "status" to conduct NATO Air Policing from Lielvarde Air Base in Latvia, two Eurofighter jets of the German Air Force took off for the first alert mission taking off from a base in Latvia to intercept two Russian military planes flying near NATO territory, on the coast of Latvia, over international waters.

The Latvian Control and Reporting Center recorded a tracking of non-NATO aircraft off the coast of Latvia and reported this to the Combined Center for Air Operations in Uedem, Germany. In Germany, the decision was made to trigger the German Eurofighters in Lielvarde on their first day of Air Police functions and the jets took off for the first alert exit from the base.

Yesterday, two ?? Eurofighter jets launches first NATO Alert Scramble out of Lielvarde ?? to meet two ?? military aircraft flying close to #NATO territory off the Latvian coast over international waters

— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) March 2, 2024

Once in the air, the German pilots received more details about their mission and boarded Russian military aircraft, an Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft and an Il-76MD-90A transport aircraft, which operated over the Baltic Sea. The Russian crew did not use a flight plan, was not in contact with Civil Air Traffic Control and did not use a transponder to indicate their identity. After the German pilots carried out a visual identification and confirmed the type of aircraft, they escorted the Russian planes and eventually finished the mission and returned to Lielvarde Air Base. The event was a routine interception conducted in a professional way.

“This first alert takeoff of the German Eurofighters from Lielvarde demonstrates NATO's ability and commitment to deter and, if necessary, defend Allied airspace. We are aware and ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for potential threats to our territory," said Colonel Viesturs Masulis, commander of the Latvian Air Force.

"The command and control procedures of NATO Air Police in Lielvarde and the German Detachment were established on February 29, 2024 and within one day all participants confirmed their ability to respond professionally and quickly to an alert situation at NATO borders in the region. We are a proud demonstration of collective cooperation," he concluded.

Tags: Military AviationIL-20Il-76MD-90AInterceptionsLuftwaffe - German Air ForceNATO - Air Police Mission

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[awesomeforever]

By Spc. Dean JohnsonOctober 12, 2022 VIDSEL, Sweden — The remote fields of autumn-influenced trees color the foreground on a bright Swedish Wednesday afternoon on Sept. 27, 2022. The still birch trees and quietly grazing reindeer were roused by the thunderous echoes of 200-pound high explosive M31A1 rockets launched from M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). The U.S. Army Europe and Africa HIMARS smoke and rumble marked America’s support in the country and participation in Nordic Strike 2022. As quickly as they arrived, those same HIMARS launchers left the area of Vidsel Test Range, Sweden, all within the same day. These HIMARS are assigned to and operated by U.S. Soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, attached to U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s 41st Field Artillery Brigade. Simultaneously, the Latvian Land Forces hosted other U.S. Soldiers of the same unit, and 15 other nations’ militaries. This similar combined exercise was named Silver Arrow 22. U.S. forces have long supported these allies and partners-led training events. It also served to certify NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battle group Latvia, which integrates U.S. Soldiers into the Latvian Mechanized Brigade, led by the Canadian Army. Alongside other training objectives, the execution of these exercises demonstrated the capability to overlap and potentially conduct infiltration in multiple locations within the European theater whenever called upon. U.S. Army Europe and Africa provided ready, combat-credible forces and equipment for its Swedish partner and Latvian ally for bilateral field artillery live-fire training. This continues to demonstrate the multifaceted capabilities of the senior U.S. Army command in Europe while further developing interoperable solutions, and enhancing readiness and lethality. “This has been a fantastic opportunity to come up here to the high north in Sweden, an area of growing importance,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Maranian, commanding general of 56th Artillery Command. “Being able to come here to exercise our artillery skills with able and willing partners, who we look forward to being allies with.” American forces facilitated rapid deployment and forcible entry capability with a combination of support from the U.S. Air Force MC-130J Commando II aircrafts, assigned to 352nd Special Operations Wing, Special Operations Command, that transported the HIMARS from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to Lulea, Sweden, and Liepāja, Latvia, respectfully. After landing, HIMARS crews then proceeded to the firing point while maintaining ongoing communications with the Commando II aircraft—who provided target information during transport, confirming those coordinates with Swedish and Latvian forces before engaging the notional targets. Finally, after firing the HIMARS' rockets and to complete the shoot-and-scoot tactic, the HIMARS crews drove the systems back to the awaiting aircraft to secure the launchers for a swift extraction. This total operation is known as a HIRAIN exercise, or a HIMARS Rapid Infiltration exercise. This complex exercise required a lot of planning and communications between different military branches and militaries from each other. “Our unit’s role was to provide HIMARS to Sweden, however, we started our venture in Germany,” said U.S. Army Capt. Thomas Summerbell, a field artillery officer assigned to 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment. “To get here, we did joint operations with the 352nd Special Operations Wing and utilized them to get to Sweden. Once here, on ground, we linked in with our Swedish [partners], checked radio communications, and really saw how well we would go about injecting ourselves in multiple geographic locations, and immediately proceed as an expedient force.” These exercises featured both simulated and live training to demonstrate the U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s ability to command and control long-range precision fires across Europe, and across continents, using a variety of networked multi-domain communications platforms.

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