Latvia announced a new aid package to Ukraine. It mainly includes anti-aircraft defense systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been asking and urging allies to supply such systems in recent weeks. Part of the transfer, which is currently approved by the Latvian government, is the most modern NBS anti-aircraft system. This is a German short-range system that protects objects from attacks from low altitudes. It is specialized in shooting down drones or mortar shells. For example, the Ukrainian agency Unian informs.
The aid package was announced on the X social network by Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silinová. In addition to the NBS system, the package should also include support for Ukrainian intelligence. “With every shipment, we show our friendship with the people and their fight against the aggressor Russia, which is the biggest threat to world peace and security. Latvia contributes 0.25% of its GDP annually to military aid to Ukraine. We will continue to support Ukraine both on a bilateral level and in cooperation with our allies,” announced Silinová.
However, the core of the package is the anti-aircraft system of the German company Rheinmetall MANTIS NBS C-RAM. The latter was specially developed in 2010 to protect German bases in Afghanistan, from shelling by the Taliban, who often shelled the bases with mortars.
The system uses 35 mm cartridges and is capable of firing up to 1,000 of them per minute against a low-flying target. It uses a powerful computer that is able to calculate the flight path of a drone or a small grenade in a matter of seconds and eliminate the target even shortly before reaching the target building.
The set is fully automatic and can use up to six barrels to eliminate targets, which fire 36 volleys at the target. It is able to shoot down drones at a distance of 5 kilometers. Smaller grenades and other flying objects up to a distance of 3 kilometers. At the beginning of this year, Germany donated two units to Slovakia to help Ukraine.
In recent weeks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been calling primarily for strengthening anti-aircraft defense and Patriot systems. Due to the lack of air defense missiles, the Russian campaign to destroy Ukraine’s strategic infrastructure is intensifying. In recent weeks, the Russian army managed to destroy Kyiv’s largest coal-fired power plant, Trypilská, with rockets. According to Zelensky, Russia fired 11 missiles at the Trypil Power Plant. The Ukrainian defense managed to shoot down seven of them, but then it ran out of anti-aircraft missiles. “Four (rockets) destroyed Trypilská. Why? Because we had zero rockets. We ran out of all the missiles that protected Trypilska,” Zelenskyj said at the beginning of April.
Tags: Latvia supply Ukraine weapon capable shooting drones grenades mortars
