Archive · 14 Sep 2026
NATO Jets Scramble to Intercept Drone, Discover It’s Just Birds
A NATO fighter jet launched from Siauliai, Lithuania, after radar detected an unidentified low-flying object.
Pilots determined that the suspected drone was actually a large flock of migrating birds.
Lithuanian authorities temporarily closed Vilnius International Airport during the alert.
The airport reopened 38 minutes later after the threat was ruled out.
Officials said birds and drones can produce similar radar signatures, especially near the ground.
- Who
- NATO and Italian air force personnel based in Siauliai investigated the radar contact.
- What
- A suspected drone was intercepted and identified as a flock of birds.
- When
- The incident was reported as occurring on Sunday.
- Where
- The alert occurred in Lithuanian airspace; the jet launched from Siauliai and Vilnius International Airport was temporarily closed.
- Why
- Radar detected a low-flying object resembling a drone, prompting a security response amid heightened regional airspace concerns.
- Launch location
- Siauliai, northern Lithuania
- Mission
- NATO Baltic Air Defence mission
- Aircraft target
- A large flock of migrating birds
- Airport closure
- Vilnius International Airport was closed temporarily
- Reopening time
- The airport reopened after 38 minutes
- Radar issue
- Birds and drones can produce similar radar marks
- Regional concern
- Drone incursions near Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have raised concerns about the war in Ukraine affecting NATO’s northern borders