French media: Baltic states strengthen defenses against Russia

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania - these three Baltic countries are worried that they may become the next target of Putin. Therefore, they have decided to deploy a powerful defense system to repel ground invasions by Russian tanks as well as air attacks by planes and drones.

The capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, is only 30 kilometers from the Belarusian border. The Ukrainian flag flies on buildings, symbolizing support and reminding people that the war is close at hand. Last summer, a Russian combat drone even flew over the capital during class time. Its disturbing noise woke up the sleeping citizens. This drone carried two kilograms of explosives. However, it disappeared from radar for five days before being found in a military training area in Lithuania.

Since then, questions have been raised. Why wasn't this drone intercepted? How exactly does the defense system work?

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the Baltic states have been the fortress of Europe's gateway. Thousands of concrete blocks are being deployed along the border with Russia. But the aerial boundary remains vulnerable. Existing defense measures are still insufficient to prevent drone incursions. Now, Europe plans to invest in building an anti-drone barrier stretching from Finland to Poland. This 3,000-kilometer barrier will deploy new radars to detect low-flying drones that current radars cannot detect, while also equipping new weapons for interception, including efficient jammers, micro-missiles, and even suicide drones using the latest technology.

Over a military base in Latvia. A camera just spotted a suspicious aircraft. A drone immediately took off to pursue it. The operator confirmed that the object was indeed a threat. However, artificial intelligence tracks the target at a maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour. The entire process is fully automated. No operation is needed. Only minor adjustments are made when necessary. It automatically locks onto the target and heads toward it. It explodes on the target, knocking it down.

This time, the target was not shot down because it was just an exercise. The latest model of the suicide drone, which will be demonstrated in a few months, will protect European airspace by shooting down enemy aircraft. This drone, costing less than 10,000 euros, will soon be deployed along the Latvian border to counter Russian fire.

The head of the Automated Systems Center in Latvia said that Russia has the capacity to produce hundreds or even thousands of drones daily. Europe is still asleep. Therefore, the eastern countries are trying to get ahead.

Drones have become the new focus of defense for the three Baltic states. Lithuania has even established training centers to train citizens to fly drones, starting with children as young as eight years old. This program is led by the Ministry of Defense.

However, when talking about this, the instructor seemed somewhat embarrassed. When asked about the relationship between the training and the situation with Russia, the instructor said, "The goal of our course is to teach children the basics of aviation. If they like these courses, they can choose to continue studying."

Due to the high number of applicants, Lithuania will open six additional training centers to provide training for 15,000 adults and 8,000 children.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859300081969152/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.