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On August 31 rotation ceremony of the air contingents deployed on the Baltic Air Policing mission conducted from the Lithuanian Air Force Air Base in Šiauliai – the Polish Air Contingent which has been guarding the Baltic skies for four months was replaced by four Jas-39C “Gripen” fighters of the Czech Air Force. The changeover ceremony was attended by Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė, Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronis Ažubalis, Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic Alexandr Vondra, Operational Commander of Polish Armed Forces Lt Gen Edward Gruszka, Šiauliai city and district authorities and representatives of the embassies, among them - Lithuanian ambassador in the Czech Republic Aurimas Taurantas and the Czech ambassador in Lithuania Radek Pech.

Speaking at the ceremony minister A.Ažubalis stated: “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Polish and Czech military officers, aviators and all the air force military personnel for their participation in this mission. NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission sets the best example of the Alliance’s solidarity and cooperation. I am glad that the Chicago NATO Summit took the decision to extend the airspace policing mission in the Baltic States indefinitely”.

According to him, the fighters that take off at the Zokniai airport not just respond rapidly to airspace breaches, they also have a symbolic significance, as they increase the Alliance’s visibility and remind that the principle of collective defence is at the very heart of NATO.

The rotation ceremony was followed by a bilateral meeting of Lithuanian and Czech Defence Ministers. Minister of National Defence R.Juknevičienė and Czech Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra discussed bilateral defence relations of the countries, security situation in the region, the points of the NATO Air Policing and NATO exercises and new forms of cooperation in defence area.

Czech Defence Minister highlighted that he saw the Baltic Air Policing mission as an expression of collective approach. According to him, the interest of the Czech Republic is a strong and solid NATO, therefore his country will continue sending national assets and personnel to the mission.

At the meeting Minister also discussed the participation in the NATO exercise “Steadfast Jazz 2013”. A.Vondra expressed support to the exercise and noted that exercises of such scope should be arranged regularly in this as well as in other regions. “The exercise gives a great opportunity to test defence plans and host nation support (HNS) capabilities,” R.Juknevičienė said.

Lithuanian Defence Minister thanked the guest Minister for the support the Czech Republic has rendered to the NATO Energy Security Centre and invited to contribute to the activities of the Centre.

The 4-month duty period in the Baltic Air Policing mission will be implemented by over 60 troops of the Czech Air Force, the majority of which come from the 21st Tactical Air Base in Čáslav. The Czech unit will be under the command of Col Petr Lanči, Commander of the 21st Tactical Air Base of the Czech Air Force. The Czech contingent will deploy in Šiauliai with four Jas-39C “Gripen” fighters which have been used by the country’s Air Force since 2005.

Troops of the Czech Republic will conduct the Baltic Air Policing mission for a second time. They have already been ensuring the security of the Baltic skies in May-August of 2009.

NATO took the responsibility for the security of the Baltic airspace in March 2004 when Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia became NATO members. NATO allies deploy their air personnel and assets to conduct the Baltic Air Policing mission from the Lithuanian Air Force Air Base in Šiauliai on a rotational basis to fill in the Baltic States’ shortage of relevant aircraft for independent protection of national airspace.

NATO Air Policing mission the Baltic States has already been conducted by Belgian, Danish, Czech, UK, Spanish, U.S., Polish, Norwegian, Dutch, Portuguese, French, Romanian, Turkish, and German air contingents.

The air assets deployed on the mission maintain a permanent readiness posture to scramble at short notice and take deterrent of other actions against the trespassers.

This February the North Atlantic Council approved the Baltic Air Policing mission to be long-term. Before the extension the mission was mandated till 2014.

Source: LT MOD and MFA

Photos by G. Maksimovicz (LT MOD)