Baltic Air Policing

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Baltic Air Policing
Date March 30, 2004 - present
Location Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia
Result Ongoing
The three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
The three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

The Baltic air-policing mission is a NATO air defence Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) in order to guard the airspace over the three Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Since March 2004, when the Baltic States joined NATO, alliance nations have policed the airspace over the area on three-month rotation from Lithuania's First Air Base in Zokniai/Šiauliai International Airport, near the northern city of Šiauliai. 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.

[edit] Deployments

Date Country Air Force Aircraft Reference
March 30, 2004 Flag of Belgium Belgium Flag of Belgium Belgian Air Component F-16AM Fighting Falcon [1]
July 1, 2004 Flag of Denmark Denmark Royal Danish Air Force F-16AM Fighting Falcon [2]
October 30, 2004 Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom Flag of the Royal Air Force Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado F.3 [3]
January 1, 2005 Flag of Norway Norway Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16AM Fighting Falcon [4]
March 30, 2005 Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16AM Fighting Falcon
June 30, 2005 Flag of Germany Germany Luftwaffe F-4F Phantom II [5]
October 12, 2005 Flag of the United States United States Flag of the United States Air Force United States Air Force F-16CJ Fighting Falcon

[6] ,[7]
January 1, 2006 Flag of Poland Poland Flag of the Polish Air Force Polish Air Force MiG-29B Fulcrum [8]
March 31, 2006 Flag of Turkey Turkey Turkish Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon [9] [10]
August 1, 2006 Flag of Spain Spain Spanish Air Force Mirage F-1M [11] , [12]
December 1, 2006 Flag of Belgium Belgium Flag of Belgium Belgian Air Component F-16AM Fighting Falcon [13]
April 1, 2007 Flag of France France French Air Force Mirage 2000C [14]
August 1, 2007 Flag of Romania Romania Romanian Air Force MiG-21MF LanceR [15]
November 1, 2007 Flag of Portugal Portugal Portuguese Air Force F-16AM Fighting Falcon [16], [17]
December 16, 2007 Flag of Norway Norway Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16AM Fighting Falcon [18]
March 15, 2008 Flag of Poland Poland Flag of the Polish Air Force Polish Air Force MiG-29B Fulcrum [19]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Belgium Baltic Air Policing
  2. ^ Embassy of Denmark, Vilnius, Defence Attache
  3. ^ Hansard, 14/12/04
  4. ^ Norwegian Ministry of Defence: Norwegian fighter aircraft on a temporary NATO mission in the baltic
  5. ^ Germans takes over Baltic NATO mission
  6. ^ 23rd EFS protects Baltic skies
  7. ^ Sabers deploy to Lithuania, join NATO air policing mission
  8. ^ Warsaw Voice: Guarding the Baltic Skies
  9. ^ Turkish Military Personnel to Take Over Execution of NATO Air Policing Mission Over the Baltic States
  10. ^ Turkey leads NATOs Air Policing mission in the Baltic States
  11. ^ Spain to carry out NATO patrol in Baltic countries
  12. ^ Turkish Military Personnel to Take Over Execution of NATO Air Policing Mission Over the Baltic States
  13. ^ Belgian F16's will lead NATO's Air Policing mission in the Baltic States from 01/12/2006
  14. ^ Estonian Review, Volume 17 No 13 Mar28-Apr3, 2007, p.3: French Take over Baltic Air Policing Mission
  15. ^ Romanian contingent takes over Baltic air policing mission from France
  16. ^ Portuguese F-16s to defend Baltic skies
  17. ^ A participação dos Jaguares na missão Baltics Air Policing 2007 (Portuguese Air Force 301 Squadron) (Portuguese)
  18. ^ Norwegian Defence Force Official Website: Ready to go
  19. ^ Gazeta.pl: Prezydent podpisał postanowienie o użyciu wojska w dwóch zagranicznych operacjach (Polish)

[edit] External links