On July 29 NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission detachments changed over at a ceremony at the Air Force Base in Šiauliai. Vice Minister of National Defence Vilius Semeška thanked the Spanish airmen for excellent performance over the past four months and wished luck to the incoming Hungarian Air Force Detachment.
It is the 60th iteration of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states. The leading Hungarian Air Force Detachment has deployed to Lithuania with four JAS 39 GRIPEN fighter jets. It is going to be the third rotation of Hungary since the launch of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states (after 2015 and 2019).
“We are living in troubled times. The aggressor continues the war against the Ukrainian democracy and its violations against the international rules-based order. We are grateful to Spain for completing the rotation with twice as many of its Air Force jets as usual, it was impressive and much needed. It is a pleasure today to welcome the Hungarian Armed Forces to Lithuania – may the skies be clear for you as you guard our region for the coming four months. I assure you that the people of the Baltic region are deeply grateful for your tireless effort,” said V. Semeška.
Vice Minister also extended gratitude to the Czech Republic for taking up a consecutive two-month rotation of the mission augmentation following the previous one alongside the leading Ally Spain. The strengthening capability of the Czech Air Force stays at Šiauliai with five JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft and approx. 130 military personnel.
The outgoing detachment of the Spanish Air Force were guarding the Baltic airspace with eight F-18s. The mission tasks were completed by approx. 200 military service members – pilots, technical, medical personnel, support teams, communications and other specialists. The detachments deployed in Šiauliai had been maintaining close ties with the community of Šiauliai, hosted student and pupil tours, attended city events, carried out charitable activities for Šiauliai City Alka Service Complex-Home and kept company for kids with disabilities over the past four months of the mission in Lithuania.
Besides Vice Minister of National Defence V. Semeška, the changeover ceremony was attended by Minister of Defence of Hungary Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen Valdemaras Rupšys, Chief of Defence of Hungary Lt Gen Dr. Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, Assistant Commander at NATO headquarters Marius Dabkevičius, ambassadors, representatives of the city of Šiauliai, and other guests.
Representatives of Lithuania, Hungary and NATO underscored that the vulnerable security situation underlined the particular importance of the NATO Air Policing mission and a credible collective defence in the Baltic region.
Augmentation of the NATO Air Policing Mission from the Amari Air Force Base in Estonia will be flown by the German Air Force with Eurofighter fighter aircraft while the enhancement of the mission conducted from the Polish Air Force base at Malbork will be ensured by the Italian Air Force with Eurofighter jets.
As Russia continues the war in Ukraine, NATO fighter aircraft are not only conducting alert scrambles in response to violations of international aviation rules committed by Russian aircraft in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea but also patrol the airspace border with Belarus and Russia as part of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states.
NATO Allies stand vigilant and ready to respond to every kind of threat: currently, the Alliance has 130 on high alert and approx. 30 allied aircraft are the air at one time routinely.
Hungary, an Ally that Lithuania has bilateral defence cooperation with since 1997, will be responsible for protecting the Baltic airspace for the next four months. Hungary also contributes to the security of Lithuania and the Baltic region by deploying military personnel to exercises in Lithuania and activities of the NATO Force Integration Unit in Vilnius.
Photo credits: Lithuanian Air Force
