NATO is stepping up its mission to police Baltic airspace. This increased presence in the NATO member states is part of the emergency measures adopted by NATO in response to the crisis in Ukraine. Within the framework of these measures the German government will be contributing up to six Eurofighter military aircraft. Germany is thus making a highly visible and responsible contribution to the agreed measures.

Luftwaffe support

Germany’s contribution to the NATO mission consists of Luftwaffe aircraft, supplemented by additional Bundeswehr specialists. They will be stationed from the beginning of September to the end of December this year at Ämari air base in Estonia. Two more aircraft in Germany can be called up.

In May a Bundeswehr assessment team visited Lithuania and Estonia to see the conditions on the ground. Further steps were taken jointly with the host nations. The Eurofighters that are now to support the NATO mission are the Luftwaffe’s most modern fighter aircraft. They will be helping police the airspace above the Baltic states with other NATO partners.

Air policing is designed to protect nations against attack from the air. Within an extremely short space of time, armed military jets can be scrambled to secure the airspace should there be a threat of an air attack. Air policing is defensive in nature and is not geared to a specific threat.

NATO solidarity in the Baltic region

The Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined NATO in 2004. Since then the Baltic airspace has been policed by the air forces of NATO member states. So far a total of 14 nations have been involved in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission. The solidarity demonstrated by NATO members in policing Baltic airspace makes it possible to distribute existing NATO capacities and to make use of these. By stationing up to six Luftwaffe aircraft in Estonia, Germany is making a reliable, committed and effective contribution to protecting NATO airspace.

On 4 and 5 September, the heads of state and government of NATO member states are to meet at Newport, Wales for the 2014 summit meeting. NATO’s response to the crisis in Ukraine will play an important part in discussions there.

Long-standing German experience

Since 2004 Germany has been involved in the integrated air defence of the Baltic states provided by NATO. In the scope of the upcoming expansion of the NATO mission, Germany will be providing aircraft for the sixth time to support Baltic partners. Eurofighters were first included in the German contribution in 2009. German Phantom aircraft were most recently stationed in Lithuania in 2012.