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.
In 2024 due to runway and infrastructure works at Ämari Air Base that
will last until later in the year Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia became
the third air base in the Baltic nations to host the BAP rotations.
Šiauliai is hosting the BAP lead nation while Ämari and Lielvarde Air
Bases is host to
the augmenting nation.
From September 1, 2014 augmenting nations also operated out of Lithuania, these rotations are
marked (A). |
