defense
Bundeswehr takes over NATO airspace surveillance over the Baltics
Air Force in Latvia: Bundeswehr soldiers next to a Eurofighter in Lielvarde. photo
© Alexander Welscher/dpa
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not have their own fighter jets. NATO allies therefore take turns securing Baltic airspace. Now Germany is taking on this role again.
The Bundeswehr will again monitor the airspace over the Baltic NATO states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania over the next nine months. In the presence of Latvia’s Defense Minister Andris Spruds and Air Force Inspector General Ingo Gerhartz took command of a Luftwaffe squadron at the Latvian air force base Lielvarde, from which German pilots are taking over “Air Policing Baltic” for the first time.
For the operation, up to six “Eurofighters” and around 200 soldiers will be stationed at the military airfield, located a good 60 kilometers southeast of the Latvian capital Riga, until the end of November.
“NATO air policing is of utmost importance for the security of the people of Latvia and the Baltics,” Gerhartz said at a ceremony in Lielvarde. The importance of collective defense can be understood particularly in the three Baltic Sea states in northeastern Europe that border Russia. “Germany is and remains a reliable friend and partner of all Baltic states. And the Air Force stands firmly at the side of Latvia and the entire Baltic region,” said the Inspector General.
“We are grateful to Germany”
Since the Baltic states joined the alliance 20 years ago, NATO states have regularly relocated aircraft to the region as a visible sign of alliance solidarity. Latvia’s defense minister said the mission had taken on additional importance given Russia’s war against Ukraine. “We are grateful to Germany for taking on this mission and leadership of the mission,” continued Spruds.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not have their own fighter jets. The NATO allies have therefore been alternately securing Baltic airspace since 2004. Germany has repeatedly taken on the task. Initially, the patrol flights took place with Phantom F-4Fs from the Lithuanian Siauliai airfield. From 2014 to 2023, Ämari military airfield in Estonia was the base for the German Eurofighters. Due to its renovation, “NATO Air Policing Baltic” will now be carried out from Latvia for the first time.
The Air Force had its first mission from Lielvarde on Friday. According to Lieutenant Colonel Swen Jacob, the German pilots had to climb to identify two Russian military aircraft flying without a flight plan in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. However, the German contingent leader does not expect an increase in the number of flights. “In fact, it has neither increased nor particularly decreased over the last few years, even since the start of the Ukraine war,” Jacob said.