On January 28 Spanish Air Force Chief of Staff (Sp AF CoS) General Francisco Javier García Arnaiz and his delegation will meet with the Spanish air personnel conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States from the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Šiauliai during a visit in Lithuania.
Escorted by the Commander of Šiauliai Air Base Colonel Marius Matulaitis, Gen F. J. García Arnaiz will familiarise with the NATO Air Policing Mission, tasks and challenges.
Later on, Gen F. J. García Arnaiz will meet with Commander of the Lithuanian Air Force Colonel Audronis Navickas.
This is the third time Spain is contributing to the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission after one deployment to Šiauliai Airbase in 2006 (with Mirrage F1 fighters) and another - to Amari Airbase (Estonia) in 2015 (with Eurofighter Typhoons).
The Spanish Air Force Detachment comprising roughly 130 soldiers (pilots, maintenance and medical personnel, support teams, experts of communications and other areas) and four Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft was deployed o Šiauliai Airbase from its homebase in Albacete for the four-month long rotation on 7 January 2016.
A Belgian Air Force detachment with four F-16 fighter aircraft augmented the NATO Air Policing Mission from the airbase in Amari, Estonia. The Belgian detachment took over the mission from German troops with four Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets in January. NATO allies have augmented enhanced the Baltic Air Policing Mission since April 2014 as part of NATO security assurance measures.
NATO began deploying military personnel and air assets to protect Baltic airspace upon Lithuania, Latvia's and Estonia's NATO accession in March 2004. Since then, 16 NATO allies have already provided rotations of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States. The incoming Spanish air detachment will conduct the 40th rotation of the mission since its outset in 2004.
The NATO Air Policing Mission is a keystone to Alliance's solidarity, and protection of integrity of the NATO airspace is a collective task. NATO applies equal security requirement to all allies, including those not in possession of their own capabilities suitable for the purpose, for example, the Baltic States. NATO air assets held on all-year-round standby in the Baltic States are ready to respond to any potential breaches of the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Photo: courtesy of the Spanish Air Force
