Defense flights over Baltic states: Luftwaffe and Royal Air Force begin NATO mission

Defense flights in the Baltic States
Luftwaffe and Royal Air Force begin NATO mission

3/6/2023 2:57 am

As Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not have their own air defenses, NATO protects Baltic airspace. Five German Eurofighters have been stationed in Estonia for this purpose since August. Now the fighter jets are about to embark on a mission with the British Royal Air Force.

Great Britain and Germany jointly monitor the airspace of NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania bordering Russia. Both sides have announced that a joint operation by the German Air Force and the British Royal Air Force in Estonia will begin today, Monday. A so-called fully integrated operation consisting of armed and unarmed defense and training aircraft is the first. German and British Eurofighters are to patrol the skies in mixed squadrons, a Defense Ministry spokesman said upon request.

In August 2022, Germany will take over the so-called “NATO Air Policing Baltic States” – for a total of nine months. For this purpose, five Eurofighters and around 150 German soldiers have been stationed at the Amari military airport. In March, they will join the British Air Force for the first time to defend airspace before Great Britain takes the lead from Germany in April. According to the spokesman, the joint support of interconnected air operations and engines reduces the technical and logistical effort for both NATO partners. Interoperability also increases the utility’s value.

“Today is an important first day for both our air forces. We have been working together for some time, but our cooperation has now reached a new level,” said Scott McCall, the British commander involved, according to a statement from London. “It is a great pleasure to work with our German allies on all aspects of our mission, from the maintenance and repair of the jets to planning and logistics.”

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not have their own air defenses. That is why NATO has been protecting Baltic airspace since 2004. To this end, the Allies continue to relocate warplanes and personnel to the Baltic Sea states in northeastern Europe. “The main task is to identify and intercept Russian military aircraft,” a Defense Ministry spokesman said. Germany is currently conducting operations at Amari for the ninth time.