The NATO Air Policing Mission does not shut down when formal visits are held to the Lithuanian Air Force Base. Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas witnessed it while meeting with Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez in the delegation of President Gitanas Nausėda.
Airspace surveillance detected two Russian Federation aircraft in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea as the press conference of the visit was happening. The Russian aircraft were heading for the mainland Russia from Kaliningrad, without the pre-filed flight plan, with their onboard transponder off and without maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control center: as a result, the NATO Air Policing fighter jets were scrambled.
“So, we can see how well everything is working,” said the participants when the press conference was resumed.
“We have just had a glimpse of how everything happens in practice. That justifies well the presence of the Spanish forces here, in Lithuania,” added P. Sanchez who was thanked in Šiauliai for the active Spanish contribution to the Baltic security.
“Spain contributes to the deterrence of military aggression and helps to protect the Alliance territory both ways, by taking part in the NATO Air Policing Mission and in the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Latvia. We are grateful to the Spanish for their presence. It adds up significantly to the deterrence in the eastern flank of NATO,” said Minister A. Anušauskas after the meeting.
P. Sanchez visited the Spanish air detachment conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states from Šiauliai for the eighth time. The Spanish Air Force has been leading the mission in Lithuania with seven Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft since early May.
Spain is planned to lead the mission again in 2022.
Photo credits: A. Gedrimas
