LIELVARDE, Latvia – Media representatives from Latvian TV stations and Baltic news services visited the NATO deployment exercise Ramstein Dust-II 2017 on Wednesday, September 27, 2017, for an update.

The exercise director, German Air Force Colonel Klaus Nolte, welcomed several media representatives at Lielvarde Air Base to explain the role and mission of his international exercise team. NATO’s deployable air surveillance and control unit, located in its home garrison at Poggio Renatico, Italy, moved to the Latvian air base at the end of August and integrated into the Baltic Air Surveillance and Control Network as an additional asset. 

"This second deployment of my team to Lielvarde after 2015 has been a major success so far,” said Colonel Nolte to the media. "I am proud of my specialists who demonstrated and honed their excellent skills. Deployment and readiness exercise are essential to verify we are operational and ready whenever and wherever needed.”

According to the Colonel all elements of the deployable NATO air surveillance and control unit acted as one. "Whether they operate the control screens, ensure communications and connections are working, keep the power up and running, prepare the containers for deployment and redeployment – each and every one of them provides a key contribution to demonstrating NATO is capable and credible in its commitment especially here in the Baltic region,” Colonel Nolte added.

The highlight for the media was the flyby of two United States Air Force F-15 fighter jets from NATO’s Baltic Air Policing at Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania. Their missions were also controlled by the deployed NATO unit during the last three weeks ensuring they operate safely in support of other Allied forces operating in the region.