Spanish air force in NATO Baltic air policing

RAMSTEIN, Germany - The Spanish Air Force has been leading NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission out of Siauliai Air Base for almost one month now. During this time they conducted several alert scrambles to meet aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea not complying with international aviation rules.

After the Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem, Germany, scrambled the Spanish F-18 fighters for the first time on 12 May to identify and escort a Russian Federation Air Force Tu-134 military passenger aircraft flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia, they also intercepted Su-30 fighter aircraft, another Tu-134 and an An-24 transport aircraft during their rotation (Photos courtesy Spanish Air Force).

These activities demonstrate how the Alliance is integrating air surveillance, air command and control and fighter assets to safeguard airspace 24/7 through the vigilant, ready and responsive system of NATO's peacetime Air Policing.

At the moment Spain, the United Kingdom - both a Siauliai, Lithuania - and France at Ämari, Estonie, provide the fighter aircraft for the mission in the Baltics.