Jun 29 2020

First Day of NATO-Partner Aerial Drills over Latvia

RAMSTEIN, Germany – The Latvian Control and Reporting Centre at Lielvarde Air Base was in the focus on the first day of exercise Ramstein Alloy.

Exercise Ramstein Alloy 20-2 over Latvia got underway with aerial training scenarios for fighter aircraft from Allies France, Poland, the United Kingdom and Partner Finland aimed at honing tactics, techniques and procedures related to quick response to air incidents over the Baltic region.

For the first time our air surveillance and weapons control specialists control air manoeuvres in this exercise series

On the first day, several air combat training scenarios of fighter aircraft were controlled by the Latvian Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) at Lielvarde Air Base. “This is the first time our air surveillance and weapons control specialists control air manoeuvres in this exercise series,” says Major Viktors Žigarkovs, CRC Lielvarde Commander.

“Since January 2020, three Control and Reporting Centres in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have ensured air surveillance of the Baltic airspace in their respective territories and near them,” he added.

They exchange data and control the sorties of Allied fighter aircraft executing NATO’s Air Policing Mission on a rotational basis and provide mutual back-up services..

The training opportunities for rotational Baltic Air Policing assets and regional Allies and Partner Finland provided by Ramstein Alloy help enhance air safety in the Baltic Sea region through practising standard procedures of identifying or assisting aircraft in distress.

Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office

For the first time the Air Surveillance and Control staff in the Latvian Air Force's Control and Reporting Centre at Lielvarde, Latvia, controlled several air combat training missions of Allied an Partner fighter aircraft on the first day of exercise Ramstein Alloy 20-2- Archive picture courtesy Latvian Air Force.

Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets took off at Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania, to join the aerial combat training over Latvia. Four RAF Typhoons are presently augmenting NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission.  Archive photo Crown Copyright.

Polish Air Force F-16 figher jets flew in from their home base to join the training drills over Latvia aimed at further increasing cooperation of regional air forces and expand security arrangements in the region. Archive photo by Tieme Festner.