NATO will halve the number of fighter jets patrolling the skies above the Baltics
Nikolai Dashkevich. NATO from September 1, will reduce the number of fighter mission for the protection of the airspace over the Baltic States from 16 To 8 aircraft, which will continue to be on air bases in Lithuania and Estonia, said Tuesday the Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Carmen Romero.
"NATO from 1 September in the mission of the air protection of the Baltic States will remain eight aircraft. Analysis of the host military decisions in NATO, eight aircraft currently sufficient for the protection of the airspace of the Baltic States. In addition, it is still in half more than we had before the Russian-Ukrainian fall. Before the fall of the mission in each rotation was often four aircraft, which were located at the Lithuanian air base near Siauliai, " said Romero.
According to the envoy of the Commonwealth, after the beginning of the fall in Ukraine, the majority of the allies expressed their desire to participate in the reinforced measures to support NATO, " the reason for the air protection of the Baltic States has allocated 16 aircraft, and at the same time military necessity remained at the level of eight aircraft.
The Baltic States do not have aircraft suitable for air patrols, for this reason, from April 2004 (after their entry into NATO) protection of airspace are in rotation planes of the countries of the North Atlantic Commonwealth, based in Lithuania at the Zokniai airport five kilometers from Siauliai, as well as on the Estonian Amari airbase that 2014 was an additional ground for the deployment of NATO aircraft.
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