From September, Italian and German fighter jets will be deployed in Lithuania and Estonia respectively. The detachments with their Eurofighter Typhoon jets will take over from their outgoing Spanish, French and UK colleagues. While Italy will be leading the mission, the German detachment will be augmenting as an enhanced Air Policing contribution.
Until April 2014, the Baltic Air Policing mission was effectively executed by a single Allied fighter detachment at Šiauliai; in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, NATO – within the Assurance Measures for Allies on the eastern flank – has authorized additional enhanced Air Policing detachments and opened a second airfield for BAP at Ämari, Estonia.
This is the 4th Italian and 12th German deployment to the region. Besides being responsible for flying NATO Air Policing missions over the Baltic Allies, they will carry out combined training with the Lithuanian and Estonian Armed Forces and other Allies in the region. The Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem, Germany controls the mission. The continuation of the Baltic Air Policing mission demonstrates NATO’s cohesion and the collective resolve of Allies to implement deterrence and defence.
…. and NATO Enhanced Air Policing to continue in Romania
From September on, a detachment of 145 Canadian Armed Forces personnel and six Canadian CF-188 Hornet fighter aircraft will conduct NATO enhanced Air Policing in Romania together with the Romanian Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and MiG-21 LanceR fighters. The continued support of Canada with their deployment to Europe underscores the transatlantic link among Allies.
For the fifth time since 2014, a Canadian Air Task Force will deploy to Romania and will operate from Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base near Constanta, under NATO’s Assurance Measures in the South. The detachment of specialists from across the Canadian Armed Forces will be led by Lieutenant Colonel David McLeod. Besides combined training with the Romanian Air Force and other Allies in the region, his team will also be employed to fly NATO Air Policing missions on the shores of the Black Sea controlled by the Combined Air Operations Centre at Torrejón, Spain.
Source: NATO Allied Air Command