The NBS Commander said that monitoring Latvian airspace and identifying flying objects is a "very complex task".
"We would like to be able to say that all the high technologies we have at our disposal give us a hundred per cent certainty about what is in the air. In fact, about 80% of what we see on radar screens are various cloud formations," Kalniņš said, commenting on this week's case where NATO fighters were scrambled from the air base in Lielvārde because of what later turned out to be a flock of birds.
At the same time, Kalniņš noted that patrol aircraft take off in Latvia every day, but are not reported to the public every time.
"The purpose of this announcement was - you see, such events happen every day. I will say, every fifth, sixth hour," Kalniņš said.
Commenting on the work of the National Armed Forces on September 7, when a Russian "Shahed" type combat drone with explosives flew into Latvia and crashed after a flight of almost 100 kilometers, Kalniņš said that the NBS had realized its mistakes and took full responsibility for the actions of the armed forces.
Kalniņš also apologized to local government leaders, who criticised the NBS for not informing local authorities quickly enough. The commander admitted that, given the civil protection drills, the NBS had looked "rather weak" in this particular case.
The incident has also given impetus to more active talk about the faster introduction of a rotating air defense system in Latvia.
