The Spanish Air Defence Unit deployed in Latvia leads ‘Latvian Shield I-26’

During the exercise, the Spanish contingent established the defence of the ‘EVA Rēzekne’ surveillance radar

Spanish military personnel from the NASAMS Air Defence Unit (UDAA), part of NATO’s ‘F-E IAMD Persistent Effort’ operation in Latvia, have led the ‘Latvian Shield I-26’ exercise.

For the second time, the Spanish unit has been deployed from its airbase in Lielvārde (Latvia) to contribute to the air defence of the Baltic country and, by extension, the Alliance’s eastern flank.

This deployment was carried out alongside a signals unit, which enabled satellite liaison with higher echelons and integration into the NATO Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS).

The objective of the deployment was to defend the ‘EVA Rēzekne’ surveillance radar, in response to a hypothetical transition from a crisis situation to conflict during the parallel exercise ‘Latvian Wolf 26’.

The ‘Latvian Shield I-26’ exercise was led by the Spanish NASAMS UDAA and involved the Canadian rotary-wing aircraft detachment, deployed at the same Lielvārde airbase; and the Italian and Canadian SHORAD units, integrated into the Multinational Brigade (MNB-LVA), deployed at Ādaži.

Specifically, the exercise consisted of four phases: the planning and terrain reconnaissance phase; the deployment of the unit to the town of Rēzekne and integration with the Air Defence System; the defence of critical infrastructure against ABT, rotary-wing and missile threats; and the return to the home airbase, with the aim of resuming its original mission.

In addition to demonstrating the effectiveness and flexibility of Alliance assets deployed on the eastern flank, ‘Latvian Shield I-26’ has marked a major step forward in the interoperability and integration of the Alliance’s air defence assets. Using a technical system known as CSI (CRC System Interface), the Spanish Medium-Range Air Defence Artillery Operations Centre (COAAAS-M) has been successfully integrated with the Canadian and Italian SHORAD units.

With this edition of the ‘Latvian Shield’ exercise, the Spanish NASAMS UDAA renews its commitment to the host nation and the other allied countries, demonstrating its capability and constant readiness to deploy its assets anywhere in Latvia, within the NATO framework, with the aim of contributing to the protection of the population and its high-value targets.