# Baltic Air Policing

The Baltic air-policing mission is a NATO air defence Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) in order to guard the airspace above the three Baltic countries 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 (QRA) assets for intercepts (QRA(I)) provided by its member nations.
By means of radar sites, remote data transmission, Control and Reporting Centres (CRCs) and Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs) 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). 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 (APAs):
* APA 1 is controlled by the CAOC Finderup, Denmark (deactivated in 2013);
* APA 2 is controlled by the CAOC Uedem, Germany.
NATO members without their own Air Policing assets are assisted by other NATO members. Luxembourg is covered by interceptors from Belgium, Slovenia is covered by the Italian Air Force and Albania is covered by Italian and Greek aircraft.
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 Zokniai Air Base in Lithuania and, starting from 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. 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 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, 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. In May 2014, Polish Air Force units at Malbork Air Base were reinforced by the French Air Force.
In January 2022, due to the massing of Russian military forces along its border with Ukraine; American and Danish fighter jets were deployed to the NATO Baltic Air Policing detachments in Estonia and Lithuania, respectively, to provide enhanced air policing (eAP) over the Baltic States.
According to a former staff member of the National Defence University of Finland, the Baltic air bases are untenable in a war scenario as they lack hardened aircraft shelters, which make them vulnerable to attack. Also, Russia operates long-range SAMs in Kaliningrad, Pskov and Leningrad Oblast, which might severely hamper or stop air operations from the area.
In May 2023, the Latvian Minister of Defence, Ināra Mūrniece, announced that NATO fighter jets will be temporarily stationed at Lielvārde Air Base during the spring to autumn of 2024 whilst Ämari Air Base undergoes reconstruction work.

## Deployments

| Starting date | Country | Air force | Aircraft | Based in |
| 30 March 2004 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 July 2004 | Denmark | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 30 October 2004 | United Kingdom | Royal Air Force | 4 x Panavia Tornado F.3 | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 January 2005 | Norway | Royal Norwegian Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 30 March 2005 | Netherlands | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 4x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 30 June 2005 | Germany | German Air Force | 4 x F-4F Phantom II | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 12 October 2005 | United States | United States Air Force | 4 x F-16CJ Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 January 2006 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 31 March 2006 | Turkey | Turkish Air Force | 4 x F-16C Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 August 2006 | Spain | Spanish Air Force | 3 x Mirage F1M | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 December 2006 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 April 2007 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage 2000C | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 August 2007 | Romania | Romanian Air Force | 4 x MiG-21 Lancer 'C' | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 November 2007 | Portugal | Portuguese Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 16 December 2007 | Norway | Royal Norwegian Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 15 March 2008 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 30 June 2008 | Germany | German Air Force | 4 x F-4F Phantom II | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 30 September 2008 | United States | United States Air Force | 4 x F-15C Eagle | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 2 January 2009 | Denmark | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 May 2009 | Czech Republic | Czech Air Force | 4 x JAS 39C Gripen | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 September 2009 | Germany | German Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 3 November 2009 | Germany | German Air Force | 4 x F-4F Phantom II | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 4 January 2010 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage 2000C | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 May 2010 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 September 2010 | United States | United States Air Force | 4 x F-15C Eagle | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 5 January 2011 | Germany | German Air Force | 6 x F-4F Phantom II | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 28 April 2011 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage 2000C | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 2 September 2011 | Denmark | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 4 January 2012 | Germany | German Air Force | 6 x F-4F Phantom II | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 26 April 2012 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 September 2012 | Czech Republic | Czech Air Force | 4 x JAS 39C Gripen | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 3 January 2013 | Denmark | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 30 April 2013 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage F1CR | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 3 September 2013 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 3 January 2014 | United States | United States Air Force | 4 x F-15C Eagle | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 May 2014 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 May 2014 | United Kingdom | Royal Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 May 2014 | Denmark | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 1 May 2014 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Dassault Rafale | Malbork, Poland |
| 1 September 2014 | Portugal | Portuguese Air Force | 6 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 September 2014 | Canada | Royal Canadian Air Force | 4 x CF-188 Hornet | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 September 2014 | Germany | German Air Force | Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 1 September 2014 | Netherlands | Royal Netherlands Air Force | F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Malbork, Poland |
| 1 January 2015 | Italy | Italian Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 2 January 2015 | Spain | Spanish Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 5 January 2015 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x MiG-29A | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 7 January 2015 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Malbork, Poland |
| 1 May 2015 | Norway | Royal Norwegian Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 May 2015 | Italy | Italian Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 May 2015 | United Kingdom | Royal Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 1 May 2015 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Malbork, Poland |
| 25 August 2015 | Germany | German Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 31 August 2015 | Hungary | Hungarian Air Force | 4 x JAS 39C Gripen | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 7 January 2016 | Spain | Spanish Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 7 January 2016 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 28 April 2016 | United Kingdom | Royal Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 4 May 2016 | Portugal | Portuguese Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 31 August 2016 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage 2000-5F | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 31 August 2016 | Germany | German Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 5 January 2017 | Netherlands | Royal Netherlands Air Force | |4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 5 January 2017 | Germany | German Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 2 May 2017 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x F-16C Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 3 May 2017 | Spain | Spanish Air Force | 5 x EF-18 Hornet | Ämari, Estonia |
| 30 August 2017 | United States | United States Air Force | 4 x F-15C Eagle | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 5 September 2017 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 8 January 2018 | Denmark | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 10 January 2018 | Italy | Italian Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 2 May 2018 | Portugal | Portuguese Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 2 May 2018 | Spain | Spanish Air Force | 6 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 3 May 2018 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage 2000-5F | Ämari, Estonia |
| 30 August 2018 | Germany | German Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 31 August 2018 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 3 January 2019 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x F-16C Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 May 2019 | Hungary | Hungarian Air Force | 4 x JAS 39C Gripen | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 May 2019 | Spain | Spanish Air Force | 5 x EF-18 Hornet | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 May 2019 | United Kingdom | Royal Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 3 September 2019 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 3 September 2019 | Denmark | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 3 September 2019 | Czech Republic | Czech Air Force | 4 x JAS 39C Gripen | Ämari, Estonia |
| 2 January 2020 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x F-16C Fighting Falcon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 30 April 2020 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage 2000-5F | Ämari, Estonia |
| 1 May 2020 | United Kingdom | Royal Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 May 2020 | Spain | Spanish Air Force | 6 x EF-18 Hornet | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 15 July 2020 | Germany | German Air Force | Eurofighter Typhoons | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 31 August 2020 | Germany | German Air Force | 6 x Eurofighter Typhoons | Ämari, Estonia |
| 4 September 2020 | Italy | Italian Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 30 April 2021 | Italy | Italian Air Force | 4 x F-35A Lightning II | Ämari, Estonia |
| 30 April 2021 | Spain | Spanish Air Force | 7 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| May 2021 | Turkey | Turkish Air Force | 4 x Lockheed Martin F-16 | Malbork, Poland |
| 31 August 2021 | Denmark | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 31 August 2021 | Portugal | Portuguese Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 15 September 2021 | Italy | Italian Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 30 November 2021 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x F-16C Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 December 2021 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 26 January 2022 | United States | United States Air Force | 6 x F-15E Eagle | Ämari, Estonia |
| 29 January 2022 | Denmark | Royal Danish Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 13 March 2022 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage 2000-5F | Ämari, Estonia |
| 1 April 2022 | Czech Republic | Czech Air Force | 5 x JAS 39C Gripen | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 April 2022 | Spain | Spanish Air Force | 8 x EF-18 Hornet | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 August 2022 | Hungary | Hungarian Air Force | 4 x JAS 39C Gripen | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 August 2022 | Germany | German Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoons | Ämari, Estonia |
| 1 August 2022 | Italy | Italian Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Malbork, Poland |
| 1 October 2022 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x F-16C Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 6 October 2022 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 6 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 1 December 2022 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Dassault Rafale | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 February 2023 | Netherlands | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 8 x F-35A Lightning II | Malbork, Poland |
| 1 March 2023 | United Kingdom | Royal Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 31 March 2023 | Portugal | Portuguese Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 31 March 2023 | Romania | Romanian Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 3 August 2023 | Spain | Spanish Air Force | 8 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 3 August 2023 | Italy | Italian Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 30 November 2023 | Belgium | Belgian Air Component | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 30 November 2023 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Mirage 2000-5F | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 30 November 2023 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x F-16C Fighting Falcon | Ämari, Estonia |
| 1 March 2024 | Germany | German Air Force | 5 x Eurofighter Typhoons | Lielvārde, Latvia |
| 1 April 2024 | Spain | Spanish Air Force | 8 x EF-18 Hornet | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 April 2024 | Portugal | Portuguese Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 30 July 2024 | Italy | Italian Air Force | 4 x Eurofighter Typhoon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 December 2024 | France | French Air Force | 4 x Dassault Rafale | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 1 December 2024 | Netherlands | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 4 x F-35A Lightning II | Ämari, Estonia |
| Mid March 2025 | Poland | Polish Air Force | 4 x F-16C Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |
| 31 March 2025 | Romania | Romanian Air Force | 4 x F-16AM Fighting Falcon | Šiauliai, Lithuania |

## Accidents

* 30 August 2011 – A French Mirage collided with a Lithuanian Aero L-39 Albatros jet trainer, 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

* U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle near Vilnius (November 2008)
* Squadron of Belgian Air Component F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters
* Royal Danish Air Force F-16 near Vilnius (March 2009)
* French Mirage 2000s during a Baltic Air Policing deployment in 2010.
* A German Luftwaffe McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom II landing at Zokniai airport (Lithuania, January 2011).
* Czech Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighters over the Curonian Spit while participating in the Baltic Air Policing mission in 2012.
* A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle aircraft assigned to the 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron taxis to a runway, March 2014, as part of Baltic Air Policing in Šiauliai, Lithuania.
* Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16s during a Baltic Air Policing deployment (Lithuania, March 2017)
* Romanian and Portuguese F-16s flying over Lithuania (May 2023)