Baltic Air Surveillance Network (BALTNET) is an
air defense
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
network operated by the
Baltic States
The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...
of
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
,
Lithuania and
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and t ...
.
Structure

The Baltic Air Surveillance Network (BALTNET) is one of the commands within the
NATO Integrated Air Defense System
The NATO Integrated Air Defense System (short: NATINADS) is a command and control network combining radars and other facilities spread throughout the NATO alliance's air defence forces. It formed in the mid-1950s and became operational in 1962 as ...
(NATINADS). BALTNET's Regional Airspace Surveillance Coordination Centre (RASCC) is located in
Karmėlava and reports to
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
's (CAOC)
Combined Air Operations Centre
Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs) are multinational headquarters for tactical and operational control of NATO Air Forces below the Joint Force Command level''. They operate within the NATO Integrated Air Defense System (NATINADS) framework ...
: CAOC Uedem.
* Regional Airspace Surveillance Coordination Centre (RASCC), in
Karmėlava
** (
Estonian Air Force
The Estonian Air Force ( et, Õhuvägi, ) is the aviation branch of the Estonian Defence Forces. The air force traces its history to 1918, and was re-established in its current form in 1991.
As of 2016, the Estonian Air Force has a strength of ...
) Air Operations Centre, at
Ämari Air Base
*** Radar Station, in
Levalõpme, with
GM 403
*** Radar Station, in
Otepää
Otepää (formerly Nuustaku) is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia (in contrast to the "summer c ...
, with
GM 403
*** Radar Station, in
Kellavere, with
AN/TPS-77
** (
Latvian Air Force
Latvian Air Force ( lv, Latvijas Gaisa spēki) is the aviation branch of the National Armed Forces. The first air force (AF) units were established 1992. It has no air combat capability, thus the defense of Latvian air space is maintained by NATO ...
) Air Operations Centre, at
Lielvārde Air Base
Lielvārde is a military air base in Rembate Parish, Ogre Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is located north of Lielvārde and southeast of Riga. It was built in 1969 for an attack aircraft regiment.
In spring 1980, the 899th ...
*** 1st Radiotechnical (Radar) Post, at
Lielvārde Air Base
Lielvārde is a military air base in Rembate Parish, Ogre Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is located north of Lielvārde and southeast of Riga. It was built in 1969 for an attack aircraft regiment.
In spring 1980, the 899th ...
, with
AN/TPS-77
*** 2nd Radiotechnical (Radar) Post, in
Audriņi, with
AN/TPS-77
*** 3rd Radiotechnical (Radar) Post, in
Čalas, with
AN/TPS-77
** (
Lithuanian Air Force
The Lithuanian Air Force or LAF ( lt, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos, abbreviated as ''LK KOP'') is the military aviation branch of the Lithuanian armed forces. It is formed from professional military servicemen and non-military personnel. Units ...
) Airspace Operations Centre, in
Karmėlava
*** Radar Station in
Antaveršis
*** Radar Station in
Degučiai
*** Radar Station in
Ceikiškės
Lithuanian radars are manufactured by
Indra Sistemas
Indra Sistemas, S.A. () is a Spanish information technology and defense systems company. Indra is listed on the Bolsa de Madrid and is a constituent of the IBEX 35 index.
Indra is organized around three business areas: information technologie ...
.
See also
*
Airspace Surveillance and Control Command (Lithuania)
References
Air defence radar networks
Military projects of the Baltic states
Military of Lithuania
Military of Latvia
Military of Estonia
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