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Baltic Air Policing: Lithuania
 
Latest update: December 2023
 
The three Baltic nations Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined NATO in March 2004. As the countries didn't en don't operate fighter aircraft the NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission stood up to safeguard the integrity and security of the Baltic airspace. BAP missions are rotated between other NATO countries. The first rotation was conducted by Belgium sending its F-16s to Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania. Until April 2014 all BAP missions were conducted from Šiauliai Air Base. As a result of the changing security situation in Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Crimea) a second operating base was actived at Ämari Air Base in Estonia from May 2014. The Danish Air Force with its F-16s was the first NATO member conducting BAP missions from Ämari Air Base. For a short period also Malbork Air Base in Poland was used to support BAP and reassure the Baltic countries and Poland.

Currently Šiauliai is hosting the BAP lead nation while Ämari is host to the augmenting nation.


From September 1, 2014 augmenting nations also operated out of Lithuania, these rotations are marked (A).
 
Šiauliai Air Base
 
APM type Rotation no. Country Start End Aircraft Country rot. no.
Lead 1 Belgium 27-03-04 01-07-04 F-16AM 1
Lead 2 Denmark 01-07-04 14-10-04 F-16AM 1
Lead 3 United Kingdom 14-10-04 21-01-05 Tornado F.3 1
Lead 4 Norway 21-01-05 21-03-05 F-16AM 1
Lead 5 Netherlands 21-03-05 30-06-05 F-16AM 1
Lead 6 Germany 01-07-05 30-09-05 F-4F 1
Lead 7 United States 30-09-05 30-12-05 F-16C 1
Lead 8 Poland 30-12-05 31-03-06 Mig-29 1
Lead 9 Turkey 31-03-06 01-08-06 F-16C 1
Lead 10 Spain 01-08-06 01-12-06 Mirage F1M 1
Lead 11 Belgium 01-12-06 01-04-07 F-16AM 2
Lead 12 France 01-04-07 01-08-07 Mirage 2000C 1
Lead 13 Romania 01-08-07 01-11-07 Mig-21 Lancer C 1
Lead 14 Portugal 01-11-07 15-12-07 F-16AM 1
Lead 15 Norway 15-12-07 15-03-08 F-16AM 2
Lead 16 Poland 15-03-08 30-07-08 Mig-29A 2
Lead 17 Germany 30-07-08 30-10-08 F-4F 2
Lead 18 United States 30-10-08 09-02-09 F-15C 2
Lead 19 Denmark 09-02-09 01-05-09 F-16AM 2
Lead 20 Czech Republic 01-05-09 31-08-09 JAS-39C 1
Lead 21 Germany 31-08-09 04-01-10 EF-2000 / F-4F 3
Lead 22 France 04-01-10 30-04-10 Mirage 2000C 2
Lead 23 Poland 30-04-10 01-09-10 Mig-29A 3
Lead 24 United States 01-09-10 05-01-11 F-15C 3
Lead 25 Germany 05-01-11 28-04-11 F-4F 4
Lead 26 France 28-04-11 02-09-11 Mirage 2000C 3
Lead 27 Denmark 02-09-11 04-01-12 F-16AM 3
Lead 28 Germany 04-01-12 26-04-12 F-4F 5
Lead 29 Poland 26-04-12 31-08-12 Mig-29 4
Lead 30 Czech Republic 31-08-12 03-01-13 JAS-39C 2
Lead 31 Denmark 03-01-13 30-04-13 F-16AM 4
Lead 32 France 30-04-13 30-09-13 Mirage F1CR 4
Lead 33 Belgium 30-09-13 03-01-14 F-16AM 3
Lead 34 United States 03-01-14 30-04-14 F-15C 4
Lead 35 Poland 30-04-14 01-09-14 Mig-29 5
Augmenting 35 (A) United Kingdom 01-09-14 01-09-14 Typhoon FGR.4 2
Lead 36 Portugal 01-09-14 31-12-14 F-16AM 2
Augmenting 36 (A) Canada 01-09-14 31-12-14 CF-188 1
Lead 37 Italy 01-05-17 30-04-15 EF-2000 1
Augmenting 37 (A) Poland 08-01-15 30-04-15 Mig-29 6
Lead 38 Norway 01-05-15 31-08-15 F-16AM 3
Augmenting 38 (A) Italy 01-05-15 31-08-15 EF-2000 2
Lead 39 Hungary 01-09-15 31-12-15 JAS-39C 1
Lead 40 Spain 07-01-16 01-05-16 EF-2000 2
Lead 41 Portugal 01-05-16 31-08-16 F-16AM 3
Lead 42 France 01-09-16 31-12-16 Mirage 2000-5 5
Lead 43 Netherlands 05-01-17 30-04-17 F-16AM 2
Lead 44 Poland 01-05-17 30-08-17 F-16C/D 7
Lead 45 United States 30-08-17 09-01-18 F-15C 5
Lead 46 Denmark 09-01-18 02-05-18 F-16AM 5
Lead 47 Portugal 02-05-18 31-08-18 F-16AM 4
Augmenting 47 (A) Spain 02-05-18 31-08-18 EF-2000 3
Lead 48 Belgium 31-08-18 03-01-19 F-16AM 4
Lead 49 Poland 03-01-19 02-05-19 F-16C 8
Lead 50 Hungary 02-05-19 02-09-19 JAS-39C 2
Augmenting 50 (A) Spain 02-05-19 02-09-19 EF-18M 4
Lead 51 Belgium 02-09-19 02-01-20 F-16AM 5
Augmenting 51 (A) Denmark 02-09-19 02-01-20 F-16AM 6
Lead 52 Belgium 02-01-20 30-04-20 F-16AM 6
Lead 53 Spain 30-04-20 01-09-20 EF-18M 5
Augmenting 53 (A) United Kingdom 30-04-20 31-08-20 Typhoon FGR.4 4
Lead 54 Italy 01-09-20 01-01-21 EF-2000 3
Lead 55 Italy 01-01-21 29-04-21 EF-2000 4
Lead 56 Spain 29-04-21 31-08-21 EF-2000 6
Lead 57 Portugal 31-08-21 30-11-21 F-16AM 5
Lead 57 Denmark 31-08-21 30-11-21 F-16AM 7
Lead 58 Poland 30-11-22 31-03-22 F-16C 9
Augmenting 58 (A) Denmark 28-01-22 31-03-22 F-16AM 8
Lead 59 Spain 31-03-22 01-08-22 EF-18M 7
Augmenting 59 (A) Czech Republic 31-03-22 01-08-22 JAS-39C 3
Lead 60 Hungary 01-08-22 01-12-22 JAS-39C 3
Lead 61 Poland 01-11-22 04-04-23 F-16C 10
Augmenting 61 (A) France 01-12-22 04-04-23 Rafale C 6
Lead 62 Portugal 04-04-23 03-08-23 F-16AM 6
Augmenting 62 (A) Romania 04-04-23 03-08-23 F-16AM 2
Lead 63 Italy 03-08-23 30-11-23 EF-2000 5
Lead 64 Belgium 30-11-23   F-16AM 7
Augmenting 64 (A) France 30-11-23   Mirage 2000-5 7
             
 
Comment(s):

(A): Augmenting.
Rotations without (A) are Lead nations for the entire BAP mission.
 
Photo gallery
 
Belgium F-16AM Canada CF-188 Czech republic JAS-39C
     
Denmark F-16AM France Mirage 2000-5F France Mirage F.1CR
     
Germany EF-2000 Germany F-4F Hungary JAS-39C
     
Italy EF-2000 Netherlands F-16AM Norway F-16AM
     
Poland F-16C Poland Mig-29 Portugal F-16AM 
     
Romania Mig-21 / Lancer Spain EF-2000 Spain Mirage F.1M
     
Turkey F-16C United Kingdom Tornado F.3 United Kingdom Tornado GR.4
     
 
United States F-15 United States F-16