Estonia and Latvia have signed a contract to buy IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defence systems from Germany’s Diehl Defence, BNS reports. The deal, worth nearly EUR 400mn, is the biggest single defence contract in Estonian history. The procurement will include launchers, radars, fire control centres, and missiles. The first systems are due to be delivered…
Lithuania has asked NATO to increase air defences in the Baltic States, BNS reports. Lithuania’s Deputy Defence Minister, Zilvinas Tomkus, met with the commander of NATO’s Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), General James Hecker, to discuss the issue. Tomkus asked NATO to deploy more assets, including fighter jets and air defence systems, to the region. The…
Germany will begin deploying a brigade to Lithuania in early 2024, Germany’s Chief of Defence, General Carsten Breuer, announced, LRT reports. Speaking at a new conference in Vilnius, Breuer said that a roadmap for the deployment would be ready by the end of the third quarter of 2023. He said that a basic decision to…
The three Baltic States have joined the G7’s Declaration of Support for Ukraine, ERR reports. The declaration aims to provide Ukraine with sustained political, military, financial, and economic assistance through bilateral agreements. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte expressed their “unwavering support” for Ukraine until…
Spain has taken over NATO’s Baltic air policing mission from the UK’s Royal Air Force, BNS reports. RAF handed over responsibility for the mission to the Spanish Air and Space Force (EA) contingent at the Ämari Air Base in Estonia. EA will patrol the Baltic air space using Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets. EA has participated…
The US Senate has authorised the allocation of USD 228mn (EUR 208mn) of additional funding to strengthen security cooperation with the Baltic States in 2024, LETA reports. Latvian Defence Minister Inara Murniece said that the funding would allow the Baltic States to develop military capabilities and strengthen the security of NATO’s eastern flank. In 2022,…
Latvia must prepare for Russia’s policy to remain aggressive over the long term, Latvia’s new ambassador to NATO, Maris Riekstins, stated, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with LTV, Riekstins said that recent events suggested that Russian leader Vladimir Putin saw extending the war in Ukraine over many years as the only way out of…
Canada’s new defence attaché to Lithuania, Colonel Robert Foster, was accredited at the Lithuanian Defence Ministry on 26 July 2023, BNS reported. Prior to his appointment, Foster served as Canada’s defence attaché in Ukraine for the past four years. Lithuania’s Defence Minister, Arvydas Anusauskas, expressed hope for greater military cooperation with Canada, which has deployed…
Latvia will soon have several new ambassadors, LSM reports. Latvia’s former long-term ambassador to Russia, Maris Riekstins, will become Latvia’s new permanent representative to NATO. Riekstins served in the same post in 2011-2025 as well. Meanwhile, Sanita Pavluta-Deslandes will replace Andrejs Pildegovics as Latvia’s ambassador to the United Nations. Also, Solveiga Silkalna, former adviser to…