NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission in Ämari Air Base

NATO is based on the principle of collective defence, which also includes the understanding that the airspace of the member states is shared and, where necessary, defended collectively. Estonia and the other Baltic states do not have fighter aircraft of their own to monitor and defend their airspace; therefore, other Allied nations help protect the airspace of our region with their fighter aircraft on a rotational basis.

A rotation of one air policing detachment usually lasts four months. Baltic Air Policing (BAP) began on the same day that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined NATO. Initially, the mission consisted of one detachment based at Šiauliai Air Base of the Lithuanian Air Force. In 2014, following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the changed security situation in Europe, NATO decided to strengthen air policing in the Baltic region. Since 1 May 2014, a NATO Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) detachment has been based at Ämari Air Base.

At both Ämari and Šiauliai, the detachments maintain round-the-clock readiness. Air policing is primarily an air defence operation conducted in peacetime conditions and is comparable to border guarding.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are not the only NATO members whose airspace defence is supported by Allies. For example, Belgian fighter aircraft conduct air policing in Luxembourg’s airspace, while Italian air policing fighter aircraft help ensure the integrity of Slovenian and Albanian airspace. Iceland also relies on Allied support.

BAP missions in Ämari Air Base: