On Tuesday, March 4th, the Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35 fighter jets participating in the Baltic Air Policing mission in Estonia practiced shooting down training drones off the coast of Rutja.
“Our mission in Estonia is clear: securing the Baltic airspace. One of the primary mission sets of the F-35 is Integrated Air and Missile Defense, therefore this counter-UAS exercise provided a great opportunity to once again demonstrate our capabilities in this realm. To plan and execute this with our ally Estonia, underlines our shared efforts to defend NATO territory” said Lieutenant Colonel Swinger, Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force detachment responsible for Baltic Air Policing at Ämari Air Base.
The exercise took place in controlled airspace, initiated by both the Netherlands and Estonia, where rockets, AIM-9, were used to destroy fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. The objective of the exercise was to enhance Estonia’s and its allies’ skills in intercepting unmanned aerial vehicles with fighter jets.
The Estonian Air Force managed the execution of the training activities through its air operations squadron, coordinated the necessary airspace and maritime area allocation, ensured exercise security, and handled post-exercise cleanup.
“In today’s security situation, drones are becoming an increasing threat both during war and peacetime, which is why it is important to carry out such exercises. The exercise can be considered successful, as all training objectives were met,” said Estonian Air Force Commander Brigadier General Toomas Susi.
Since the beginning of December, the Royal Netherlands Air Force unit with F-35 fighter jets has been providing Baltic Air Policing from Ämari Air Base. The unit, consisting of four aircraft, is made up of 90–150 air force personnel. During this period, Dutch fighter jets have conducted 10 identification flights to intercept Russian Federation aircraft flying near Estonian airspace.
According to a decision by the North Atlantic Council, NATO member states’ air forces have been rotating to guard the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania since March 29, 2004, when the Baltic states became NATO members. At the 2012 Chicago Summit, the North Atlantic Council extended the Baltic Air Policing mission indefinitely.
