NATO to halve Baltic air-policing mission; four jets to remain in Siaulai

As of September 2015, NATO will reduce the number of jets on its air-policing mission in the Baltic States from 16 to 8. The mission’s main contingent of four aircraft will remain in Lithuania at the NATO airbase in Siaulai. 

"As of September 1, NATO will have eight aircraft assigned to the Baltic air-policing mission," said NATO military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jay Janzen.

"Right now we happen to have 16 aircraft assigned to the mission. However that's well above the military requirements we established after the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis in 2014.

“We think eight aircraft are absolutely sufficient to meet the required number to conduct the air-policing mission," he said in a telephone interview.

Since Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia joined NATO in 2004, the air-policing mission has been largely performed by four jets stationed in Lithuania. 

Following the Russian annexation of Crimea in March 2014, NATO allies sent additional jets to the three Baltic States.

According to Janzen, NATO has decided to deploy four Hungarian Air Force Saab Gripens to its Siauliai base between September and December. 

Four German Eurofighter Typhoons will be stationed in Estonia during the period. NATO will no longer send any jets to Poland for the mission.

On August 4, 2015, Lithuania's Defense Ministry announced the issue of sending reinforcements to Siauliai was "currently being coordinated with NATO officials and Allies."

"The Baltic States want the main contingent conducting the NATO air-policing mission in Siauliai to be backed up with additional capacities in Estonia and Lithuania,” the ministry commented. “Lithuania also seeks additional back-up to the aircraft in Siauliai, beginning in September or at a later date. 

“The issue is currently being coordinated with NATO officials and allies," the ministry said in a comment.

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