Romania and Portugal take over NATO air policing over Baltic countries

Romania, together with Portugal, has taken over the leadership of the NATO Air Policing mission in the Baltic countries from France and Poland.

Romanian F-16 pilots will conduct air policing in the Baltic countries after the 62nd rotation of the NATO Air Policing mission in the Baltic countries, according to Romania's Ministry of National Defense (MApN). In total, a detachment of approximately 100 Romanian soldiers will participate in the NATO-led mission from April to July 2023.

Romania and Portugal have taken over the mission to defend the airspace integrity of the Baltic countries - Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia - from their Polish and French partners, through a ceremony held at the Siauliai air base in Lithuania.

During the ceremony, the Romanian "Carpathian Vipers" detachment, led by Commander Cosmin Vlad, together with the Portuguese detachment, received the Baltic Airspace Key from their Polish and French allies. The key represents "a symbol and a guarantee of NATO's commitment to ensure the protection and integrity of its member states against any possible threats,” according to an official release from MApN cited by Digi24.

“For Romania, the present deployment is the second one after joining the Baltic Air Policing in 2007 as the 12th Ally on the mission. At the time, its MiG-21 jets patrolled the skies from August to November 2007. The present Romanian detachment led by Colonel Cosmin Vlad is the first one with F-16 fighter jets. Romania bought these upgraded aircraft from Portugal and the two nations’ combined mission under NATO aegis is a continuation of their consistent cooperation,” said the NATO Allied Air Command in a press release.

(Photo source: MApN on Facebook)