Latvia fires off drone project applications to European Commission
"Both projects are in line with the priorities set by Latvia and the European Union in the areas of drone capability development and strengthening Europe's eastern border," the Ministry insisted.
This is the first of several rounds of project applications. The next round is scheduled for May, when Member States will be required to submit detailed project applications.
Project applications will be evaluated by the European Commission, while the final decision on the allocation of funding will be made by the Council of the European Union.
The Eastern Flank Watch project, which aims to strengthen the eastern border, is being implemented in cooperation with the project's lead countries Finland and Poland, as well as with Lithuania, Estonia and Sweden.
The Drone and Counter-Drone Capabilities Project is being implemented in cooperation with the Netherlands, Croatia and Spain. The project aims to procure drone and counter-drone airborne systems, as well as develop a network of drone technology and testing centres.
A special event is planned in Latvia on March 25th and 26th of this year as part of the project, the aim of which is to continue the development of the project and demonstrate to allies the opportunities available in Latvia.
The European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPI) programme, proposed under the European Defence Industrial Programme, aims to develop areas of defence capability that are in the interest of the European Union as a whole, including capabilities that provide access to areas of strategic importance. The programme will promote cooperation between EU Member States in the joint procurement and production of necessary defence systems and components.
Recent innovation advances
Recently, from March 9th to 13th, the first NATO Innovation Range testing and evaluation days for unmanned systems and interceptor system solutions took place at the new "Sēlija" military range, with the participation of defence industry companies from NATO countries and Ukraine, as well as military experts.
"The Sēlija training ground is not only a training environment for Latvian and allied armed forces units, but also a unique ecosystem where the latest technologies and innovations meet with the military environment. The development of drones and interceptor systems is no longer just a vision of the future, but a critical necessity of the moment - by conducting such tests in field conditions, we are both looking for the best technology solutions and gaining irreplaceable experience for the future," said Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds of the event.
During the testing days, companies, in cooperation with technical experts from the Autonomous Systems Competence Center and NATO member states, demonstrated and practically tested the capabilities of technologies in realistic conditions, while defence experts from NATO countries provided feedback on their readiness for practical use.
This was the first of the NATO Innovation Range events planned for this year, and the next one will take place in May this year as part of the upcoming international Drone Summit, which will take place on May 27 in Riga.
The Sēlija military training ground provides a suitable environment for this type of testing; in this area it is possible to conduct both high-speed and high-altitude interceptor flights and tests of various electronic warfare solutions in an open environment.
The NATO Innovation Range test and evaluation days were organized by the Autonomous Systems Competence Center, which is responsible for air, land and sea drones, as well as various counter-drone solutions. The Autonomous Systems Competence Center is 7in turn run by the National Defence and Logistics Center.
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