Baltic Air Policing
The Baltic air-policing mission is a NATO air defence Quick Reaction Alert in order to guard the airspace over the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Mission
Within the Alliance, preserving airspace integrity is conducted as a collective task jointly and collectively using fighter aircraft for Air Policing. Air policing is a purely defensive mission. Since the 1970s, NATO has established a comprehensive system of air surveillance and airspace management means, as well as Quick Reaction Alert assets for intercepts provided by its member nations. By means of radar sites, remote data transmission, Control and Reporting Centres and Combined Air Operations Centres the Alliance ensures constant surveillance and control of its assigned airspace 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. NATO exploits these facilities to react within seconds to air traffic incidents in the Allies’ airspace. This structure of weapon systems, control centres and procedures is referred to as the NATO Integrated Air Defence System. NATINADS has been and remains one cornerstone of Alliance solidarity and cohesion. The responsible Allied Air Headquarters are at Izmir, Turkey and Ramstein, Germany. The dividing line is the Alps. The Headquarters Allied Air Command Ramstein’s air area of responsibility is divided in two Air Policing Areas :- APA 1 is controlled by the CAOC Finderup, Denmark ;
- APA 2 is controlled by the CAOC Uedem, Germany.
Since March 2004, when the Baltic States joined NATO, the 24/7 task of policing the airspace of the Baltic States was conducted on a three-month rotation from Lithuania's First Air Force Base in Zokniai/Šiauliai International Airport, near the northern city of Šiauliai, and starting 2014 at the Ämari Air Base in Harju County, Estonia. Starting with the Turkish deployment, rotations changed to a four-month basis. Usual deployments consist of four fighter aircraft with between 50 and 100 support personnel.
To ensure Air Policing performance is conducted in a safe and professional way, adequate training was and still is required, as NATO member nations deploy their assets to Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania, on a rotational basis. To standardize training across nations, Headquarters Allied Air Command Ramstein introduced a series of training events formerly called Baltic Region Training Events, now referred to as Ramstein Alloy to capitalize on experienced aircrews deployed to Šiauliai and to offer superior training for Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian air forces and control facilities. The three host nations contributed €2.2 million in 2011 to cover the deployment expenses and are supposed to contribute €3.5 million yearly by 2015. In 2012, the Alliance allocated €7 million for Šiauliai airfield modernisation from the Security Investment Programme.
Hungary performed the mission for the first time in 2015, also Italy carried out the mission in January–April 2015, with 14 members having participated in Baltic Air Policing so far.
In 2013, the Baltic patrol was called in when the Swedish Air Force was unable to respond to a simulated attack by Russian bombers against Stockholm.
During the 2014 Crimean crisis, the U.S. Air Force deployed six F-15C Eagle fighter jets from US-run Lakenheath air base in eastern England to the Lithuanian Air Force Base near Šiauliai. These aircraft will augment the present mission comprising four U.S. F-15C Eagle aircraft. The U.S. heightened its NATO presence to increase the strength of the Baltic Air Policing mission. Another two U.S. KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft brought aircraft service personnel. In May 2014, NATO established its second air base in Estonia's Ämari near Tallinn, beginning with a Danish deployment. Additionally in May 2014, Polish Air Force units at Malbork Air Base were reinforced by the French Air Force
According to a former staff of the National Defence University of Finland the Baltic air bases are untenable in a war scenario as they lack hardened aircraft shelters which makes them vulnerable to attack. Also Russia operates long-range SAMs in Kaliningrad, Pskov and Leningrad Oblast which would severely hamper or stop air operations from the area.
Deployments
| Starting date | Country | Air force | Aircraft | Based in | Reference |
| 30 March 2004 | Belgian Air Component | 4x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 July 2004 | Royal Danish Air Force | 4x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 30 October 2004 | 4x Panavia Tornado F.3 | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 1 January 2005 | Royal Norwegian Air Force | 4x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 30 March 2005 | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 4x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 30 June 2005 | German Air Force | 4x F-4F Phantom II | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 12 October 2005 | 4x F-16CJ Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 1 January 2006 | 4x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 31 March 2006 | Turkish Air Force | 4x F-16C Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 August 2006 | Spanish Air Force | 3x Mirage F1M | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 December 2006 | Belgian Air Component | 4x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 April 2007 | French Air Force | 4x Mirage 2000C | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 August 2007 | Romanian Air Force | MiG-21 Lancer 'C' | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 November 2007 | Portuguese Air Force | 4x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 16 December 2007 | Royal Norwegian Air Force | F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 15 March 2008 | 4x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 30 June 2008 | German Air Force | 4x F-4F Phantom II | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 30 September 2008 | 4x F-15C Eagle | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 2 January 2009 | Royal Danish Air Force | 4x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 May 2009 | Czech Air Force | 4x JAS 39C Gripen | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 September 2009 | 4x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 3 November 2009 | 4x F-4F Phantom II | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 4 January 2010 | French Air Force | 4x Mirage 2000C | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 May 2010 | 4x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 1 September 2010 | 4x F-15C Eagle | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 5 January 2011 | 6x F-4F Phantom II | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 28 April 2011 | French Air Force | 4x Mirage 2000C | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 2 September 2011 | Royal Danish Air Force | 4x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 4 January 2012 | 6x F-4F Phantom II | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 26 April 2012 | 4x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 1 September 2012 | Czech Air Force | 4x JAS 39C Gripen | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 3 January 2013 | Royal Danish Air Force | 4x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 30 April 2013 | French Air Force | 4x Mirage F1CR | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 3 September 2013 | Belgian Air Component | 4x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 3 January 2014 | 4 x F-15C Eagle | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 1 May 2014 | 4 x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 1 May 2014 | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 1 May 2014 | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Ämari, Estonia. | ||
| 1 May 2014 | French Air Force | 4 x Dassault Rafale | Malbork, Poland. | ||
| 1 September 2014 | Portuguese Air Force | 6 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 September 2014 | Royal Canadian Air Force | 4 x CF-188 Hornet | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 September 2014 | German Air Force | Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 1 September 2014 | Royal Netherlands Air Force | F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Malbork, Poland | ||
| 1 January 2015 | Italian Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 2 January 2015 | Spanish Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 5 January 2015 | 4 x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 7 January 2015 | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Malbork, Poland | ||
| 1 May 2015 | Royal Norwegian Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 May 2015 | Italian Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 May 2015 | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia | |||
| 1 May 2015 | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Malbork, Poland | ||
| 25 August 2015 | German Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 31 August 2015 | Hungarian Air Force | 4 x JAS 39C Gripen | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 7 January 2016 | Spanish Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 7 January 2016 | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 28 April 2016 | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia | |||
| 4 May 2016 | Portuguese Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 31 August 2016 | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage 2000-5F | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 31 August 2016 | German Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 5 January 2017 | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 5 January 2017 | German Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 2 May 2017 | 4 x F-16C Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 3 May 2017 | Spanish Air Force | 5 x EF-18 Hornet | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 30 August 2017 | 4 x F-15C Eagle | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 5 September 2017 | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 8 January 2018 | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 10 January 2018 | Italian Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 2 May 2018 | Portuguese Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 2 May 2018 | Spanish Air Force | 6 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 3 May 2018 | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage 2000-5F | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 30 August 2018 | German Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 31 August 2018 | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 3 January 2019 | F-16C Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 1 May 2019 | Hungarian Air Force | 4 x JAS 39C Gripen | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 May 2019 | Spanish Air Force | 5 x EF-18 Hornet | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 1 May 2019 | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia | |||
| 3 September 2019 | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 3 September 2019 | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||
| 3 September 2019 | Czech Air Force | 4 x JAS 39C Gripen | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 2 January 2020 | F-16C Fighting Falcon | Ämari, Estonia | |||
| 30 April 2020 | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage 2000-5F | Ämari, Estonia | ||
| 1 May 2020 | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania | |||
| 1 May 2020 | Spanish Air Force | 6x EF-18 Hornet | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
Accidents
- 30 August 2011 - A French Mirage collided with Lithuanian trainer jet L-39, which crashed into a marsh. Both pilots ejected.
- 29 April 2013 - A Danish F-16 landed in Tallinn after it suffered a bird strike, which caused minor engine damage.
- 9 October 2015 - A German Eurofighter's right external tank dropped "while taxiing to the start position" on the taxiway in Ämari airbase, Estonia. The necessary torque of the tightening bolts "was not present".
- 8 August 2018 - A Spanish Eurofighter accidentally launched an AMRAAM missile without a target while on patrol over Estonia. The missile was not confirmed to have self-destructed as designed.
Gallery