German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons intercepted a Russian Su-24MR tactical reconnaissance aircraft near Latvian territorial waters on Saturday (June 1st).
The incident was reported by the Team Luftwaffe, which shared photos on social media.
The Su-24MR, a special reconnaissance variant of the Su-24 tactical bomber, was identified without a flight plan or radio communication. These aircraft are capable of all-weather operations and are equipped with sophisticated electronic warfare and surveillance systems.
The interception was conducted from Lielvārde Air Base in Latvia, part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission.
Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO has intensified its air policing missions over the Baltic states. Germany, participating in these missions since 2005, has annually contributed to the Reinforced Air Policing Baltic States for at least four months with a joint deployment contingent, including flying units and support forces.
The NATO Baltic Air Policing mission, operational since 2004, ensures the integrity of the airspace over Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which lack the resources to patrol their skies independently. This mission serves as a collective and defensive peacetime measure, highlighting NATO’s commitment to the security of its member states.
The Russian plane didn’t breach Latvian air space, it just flew near it. The article spelled it out.
Okay, I missed that. That changes everything I wrote in other comments 😅. Thought it was another case of breaching the air space.