Comment(s):
(A): Augmenting.
The Polish Air Force 22nd Air Base (22 BLT) is located at Malbork Air
Base in the northeast of Poland. Based here is 41. elt (eskadra
lotnictwa taktycznego - tactical aviation squadron) equipped with the
Mikoyan Mig-29G/GT.
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 until August 21, 2015
augmenting nations also operated out of Lithuania, these rotations are
marked (A).
Łask air base is used by USAFE&AFA to host aviation rotations of
European or stateside based fighter wings. In 2022 the 480th FS deployed
to the base in support of the first Air Policing Mission stationed at
Łask. |
