Robert Besser
25 May 2023, 02:59 GMT+10
TALLINN, Estonia: The defense ministries of Estonia and Latvia have announced that they are planning to jointly acquire German air defense systems for the protection of the two NATO nations' airspace.
The agreement would be the largest defense cooperation between the Baltic neighbors bordering Russia.
The medium-range IRIS-T SLM air defense system, manufactured by weapons maker Diehl Defense of Germany, could be delivered next year and be operational in 2025.
The two defense ministries did not confirm the value of the purchase or number of units to be bought, adding that talks with Diehl are ongoing.
In a statement, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said the agreement is "a joint project of historical proportions for our defense cooperation, the largest one to date" between Tallinn and Riga.
"Presuming that negotiations are successful, we, Estonia and Latvia, hope to reach the contract and, subsequently, announce the official winning bidder this summer," Pevkur said.
In a statement, Latvian Defense Minister Inara Murniece said, "Our jointly selected medium-range air defense system will further secure the skies of Latvia and Estonia and will provide the maximum possible protection for our people, as well as civil and military infrastructure."
The IRIS-T SLM air defense system is designed to protect cities, armies and civilian population from air attacks, and is effective against aircraft, helicopters and a host of other threats, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles and munitions.
Germany earlier delivered such air defense systems to Ukraine, where they are reported to have been successfully used against Russian targets.
Get a daily dose of The US News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to The US News.
More InformationNEW LONDON, Connecticut: Video footage taken deep in the Pacific Ocean provided the first detailed view of three World War ...
CUSTER STATE PARK, South Dakota: As part of an annual effort to maintain the health of the species, which has ...
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan: Uzbek authorities said a powerful explosion on September 28 at a warehouse near Tashkent's airport killed one person ...
TALLAHASSEE, Florida: The Florida Lottery said this week that the second-largest lottery winner in U.S. history has come forward to ...
LONDON, UK: This week, the Global Financial Centers index showed that New York remains the world's leading financial center, with ...
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: In a significant milestone for its defense capabilities, Taiwan has unveiled its first domestically developed submarine. Although it ...
CHICAGO, Illinois: On September 29, the union representing United Airlines' pilots said its members had ratified a new four-year contract, ...
SHANGHAI, China: Chinese officials report that 100 million people are traveling daily during the ongoing Golden Week holiday. Three times ...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden: Swedish lithium-ion battery producer Northvolt announced this week that it would build a $5.2 billion gigafactory in the ...
SACRAMENTO, California: Fast food workers will now receive $20 per hour in California, after the governor signed a fast food ...
BEIJING, China: In a deal worth US$10 billion at list prices this week, state-owned carrier China Eastern Airlines announced that ...
BEIJING, China: This week, China Evergrande Group said its founder and chairman, Hui Ka Yan, is being investigated over suspected ...