NATO is sending AWACS surveillance aircraft to Lithuania. They will be based in Šiauliai and will monitor Russian military activity near the Allianceʼs borders.
This is reported on the NATO website.
The first of the two planes will arrive on September 28. AWACS are capable of detecting enemy aircraft and missiles, air defense systems and more at a distance of more than 400 kilometers, making them a key early warning tool for NATO.
The alliance has significantly increased its air presence in the eastern part after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and several cases of missiles falling on the territory of NATO countries.
- Since February 2022, AWACS aircraft have conducted hundreds of flights over Eastern Europe to monitor Russian military aircraft, mostly from Germany.