On December 30 Danish Air Force Detachment was farewelled after completing their rotation of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states at a ceremony at the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Šiauliai. They were guarding the Baltic airspace with Belgian colleagues from September. Denmark had four back-up F-16 fighter aircraft deployed at Šiauliai Airbase.
Commander of the Lithuanian Air Force Col Dainius Guzas thanked at the ceremony the Danish detachment for the successfully completed operations and mission and the contribution to the security of the three Baltic states’ airspace.
It was the 7th time for a Danish detachment to conduct the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission. Denmark deployed the first air force detachment to protect the Baltic skies in 2004.
The Belgian Air Force Detachment will proceed with the mission conducted from Šiauliai Air Base with their four F-16. It is the 9th rotation sent by Belgium, the country was the first ally to deploy capabilities to carry out the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states when Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia became full-fledged NATO members on 29 March 2004.
Photo credits: Lithuanian Air Force Base
