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):
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.[3]
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 AlloyHome to capitalize on experienced aircrews deployed to Šiauliai and to offer superior training for Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian air forces and control facilities.[4] 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.[5]
Hungary performed the mission for the first time in 2015.[6] Italy carried out the mission in January–April 2015,[7] 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.[8]
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.[9][10] 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.[11]
30 August 2011 – A French Mirage collided with a Lithuanian
Aero L-39 Albatros jet trainer, which crashed into a marsh. Both pilots ejected.[150]
29 April 2013 – A Danish F-16 landed in
Tallinn after it suffered a
bird strike, which caused minor engine damage.[151]
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".[152]
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.[153]
Gallery
U.S. Air Force
F-15C Eagle near
Vilnius (November 2008)
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.
^"L'A.M. assicura lo spazio aereo albanese" (in Italian). Retrieved 20 September 2011. L'Aeronautica Militare assicura già dal 2007, con i propri velivoli, l'"Air Policing" dello spazio aereo sloveno.
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):
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.[3]
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 AlloyHome to capitalize on experienced aircrews deployed to Šiauliai and to offer superior training for Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian air forces and control facilities.[4] 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.[5]
Hungary performed the mission for the first time in 2015.[6] Italy carried out the mission in January–April 2015,[7] 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.[8]
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.[9][10] 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.[11]
30 August 2011 – A French Mirage collided with a Lithuanian
Aero L-39 Albatros jet trainer, which crashed into a marsh. Both pilots ejected.[150]
29 April 2013 – A Danish F-16 landed in
Tallinn after it suffered a
bird strike, which caused minor engine damage.[151]
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".[152]
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.[153]
Gallery
U.S. Air Force
F-15C Eagle near
Vilnius (November 2008)
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.
^"L'A.M. assicura lo spazio aereo albanese" (in Italian). Retrieved 20 September 2011. L'Aeronautica Militare assicura già dal 2007, con i propri velivoli, l'"Air Policing" dello spazio aereo sloveno.