Jan 14 2020

NATO Air Policing and Cooperation with Partners demonstrated to international media

BRUSSELS, Belgium - NATO Air Policing is a peacetime defensive mission conducted collectively to safeguard the airspace of all Allies – two dozen international journalists saw what this meant in practice during an Air Policing media flight across Alliance members in Northern Europe.

A Belgian Air Force Airbus A-321 with international journalists on board took off from Melsbroek Air Base in the early morning on Tuesday, Jan 14, 2020. The goal of the flight was to demonstrate what NATO Allies do collectively to safeguard their airspace and to showcase how the Allies cooperate with regional Partners Finland and Sweden.

We are proud of our professional Air Policing teams who ensure vigilance in NATO’s airspace

“NATO Air Policing is a demonstration of Alliance cohesion, readiness and interoperability,” said Lieutenant General Klaus Habersetzer, Commander of the Combined Air Operations Centre Uedem, which plans, directs and coordinates the collective mission safeguarding the airspace north of the Alps. “We are proud of our professional teams at our control centres, in our jets and maintenance hangars who ensure vigilance in NATO’s airspace and above adjacent international waters,” he added.

On behalf of NATO and under the auspices of Allied Air Command at Ramstein, the two Combined Air Operations Centres at Uedem, Germany, and Torrejon, Spain, work with

more than 30 control and reporting facilities and radar stations and employ fighter aircraft which are on standby 24/7 at more than 35 air bases to ensure the Air Policing mission.

During the media flight fighter aircraft from Allies France, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Poland, and Partner Finland were launched to escort the Airbus with media on board during an Air Policing exercise and provided a snapshot of how they cooperate under the control the Combined Air Operations Centre to protect the safety and integrity of Alliance airspace.

When the Airbus landed at Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania, the group of journalists visited the Belgian Air Force detachment presently leading NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission and saw two F-16 aircraft conduct a simulated alert launch going through the procedures undertaken by the aircrew within minutes to respond to a potential incident in the air.

After a ten-hour flight the Airbus landed safely at Brussel military airport. During the flight, Allies Denmark, France, the United Kingdom and two times Poland as well as NATO partner Finland conducted training intercepts demonstrating to the journalists on board the professional execution of routine procedures to safeguard the skies in the region.

Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office

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The Belgian Air Force A-321 passenger aircraft waiting to take off from Melsbroek Air Base, Belgium, with international media for the NATO Air Policing Media Flight on Jan 14, 2020. Photo by Christian Timmig

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German Lieutenant General Klaus Habersetzer, Commander of the Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem, Germany, during an interview with an Estonian journalist. Photo by Christian Timmig

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A Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania, journalists are observing how the aircrew of the Belgian Air Force F-16 detachment leading NATO's Air Policing mission execute the procedures for an alert scramble. Photo by Christian Timmig