Spain has deployed Crow counter-drone systems to Lithuania to help protect NATO’s eastern flank, the Lithuanian Defence Ministry said Monday.
The Crow systems are designed to detect, track and neutralise unmanned aerial vehicles that could pose a threat to military units and critical infrastructure, the ministry said in a press release.
“Spain’s consistent decisions to contribute to air defence in the Baltic region are clear proof of political will and commitment to NATO’s collective defence,” Minister Robertas Kaunas said in a statement.
“Such actions by allies strengthen deterrence, send an unambiguous signal of alliance unity and are important for ensuring the security of Lithuania and the entire eastern flank,” he said.
The systems are deployed at the Šiauliai air base in the north of the country and are operated by a tactical air force unit of the Spanish Air and Space Force. A nine-member Spanish team monitors assigned airspace to protect NATO’s eastern border from unidentified drones and weather balloons, the ministry said.
The Crow system uses a combination of radars, cameras, sensors and electronic warfare equipment to create what the ministry described as a “smart shield” to protect critical infrastructure, airports and military units.
Spain is also leading the 70th rotation of NATO’s air policing mission in Lithuania under the alliance’s rotational air defence model. A Spanish air force contingent equipped with F-18 fighter jets is stationed at the Siauliai air base as part of that mission.
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