Considering the capacity of the military industry, Latvia may receive medium-range anti-air defence systems sometime in the coming years, according to Commander of Latvian National Armed Forces Leonīds Kalniņš.
The defence sector has three missile system projects. Their implementation needs speeding up. These are coastal defence against ships, medium-range anti-air defence systems and rocket artillery, explains Minister of Defence Ināra Mūrniece. Last year Latvia and Estonia signed a letter of intent in regards to the procurement of medium-range anti-air systems. Work continues in this direction.
As previously reported, there are plans to allocate EUR 600 million towards procurement of anti-air systems in 2023-2025.
During a meeting of Saeima’s Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee held on Monday, the 13th of February, Kalniņš explained that
medium-range anti-air defence systems operate at an altitude above 10-12 km and with a radius of up to 25 km.
Supply of the system depends on the military industry. «The procurement will soon be over over and a contract will be signed. With the current military industry the process may take three to four years [until delivery],» said the commander of Latvia’s National Armed Forces.
Answering the concerns from Saeima deputy Edvīns Šnore about the anti-air defence of Latvia’s army base in Ādaži, Kalniņš said the base is protected with close-range anti-air defence system RBS-70. If Russia were to fire long-range Kalibr cruise missiles, however, Latvia would not be able to shoot them down.
This can be done with medium-range anti-air systems with a specific module. As previously reported, currently it is unknown if Latvia has plans to procure NASAMS anti-air systems. This system was deployed in Latvia by the Spanish contingent as part of NATO’s Battle Group.
Kalniņš also told members of the committee that once Latvia has procured anti-ship missile systems, there will no longer be a reason to be concerned about Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast. The commander of National Armed Forces mentioned a bubble of sorts when it comes to threats from the Baltic Sea. It means blocking the air and sea space from Russia’s side, so that the superpower can operate in the Baltic Sea and protect Kaliningrad.
The only way to pop this bubble, according to Kalniņš, is ensuring strong protection from the sea. All three Baltic States have agreed that anti-ship missiles are one of the three priorities at the moment. It is also important to keep in mind the early warning system that is provided to all allies, including US.
«Once we receive these missiles, we won’t have any more problems with Kaliningrad,»
added the commander.
On Sweden enters NATO, «we will be able to forget about any threats of Russian deployment». Instead Kaliningrad will become an enormous problem for Russia, not us, Kalniņš is convinced.
Also read: Latvian Ministry of Defence suggests calling in youngsters living abroad to serve in the military