Response algorithm updates could be implemented within a month
Lithuania is seeking consultations with NATO on changing procedures to allow military aircraft to shoot down objects violating the country's airspace even when pilots cannot identify them visually, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said. This was reported by LRT citing BNS, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
The head of government asked the Alliance leadership to launch consultations to review the existing regulations. The talks are expected to conclude with updated protocols in about a month, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius told media. According to current instructions, fighter pilots detect targets on radar stations, but due to heavy cloud cover or poor weather, they may be unable to see them visually.
Limitations of current air defense rules
Current procedures prohibit combat aircraft crews from using weapons to destroy an object if the pilot cannot visually confirm its identity. The revised standards should grant member states greater discretion in responding to potential airspace violations. This will allow Vilnius to independently decide to shoot down an object detected by radar equipment.
Debris recovery incident
The need for such innovations arose after Sunday’s incident when a drone entered the territory of the Republic of Lithuania from the Republic of Poland. At that time, Alliance fighter jets scrambled into the sky, but the pilots did not notice the device due to weather conditions and did not engage it. Later, remnants of an explosive device were found near the village of Juodžioniai in the Pasvalys district of northern Lithuania.
Ukrainian side’s stance
Lithuanian officials reported that the fallen device turned out to be a Ukrainian drone carrying explosives. Official Kyiv apologized for the incident and suggested that the flight path may have been diverted due to Russian interference. The revision of defense algorithms is intended to prevent similar dangerous situations in the future.
Illustrative photo: АрміяInform / CC BY 4.0
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