Romanian Air Force “Carpathian Vipers” detachment to perform air police missions in Lithuania

On Monday, March 31, a detachment of the Romanian Air Force called "Carpathian Vipers" began executing an enhanced air policing mission in Lithuania. The mission will last four months, between April and July 2025.

The "Carpathian Vipers" detachment, consisting of approximately 100 military personnel and four F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, will carry out missions alongside the Polish Air Force.

The air police missions began with an official ceremony at the Šiauliai airbase, in the presence of the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Gheorghiță Vlad, as well as military officials from Lithuania, Poland, Italy, and France.

"The NATO unit, beyond national borders, is strengthened by the presence of multidomain allied forces and joint training activities. These efforts reinforce our defensive posture and ensure the maintenance of freedom and security in the Euro-Atlantic space," stated the Chief of the Defence Staff.

During the bilateral meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart, General Raimundas Vaikšnoras, the two officials discussed the importance of NATO unity and cohesion in the face of common challenges, as well as cooperation in training F-16 pilots. Romania currently hosts a European Training Center for this type of aircraft, according to the MApN.

"General Vaikšnoras thanked Romania for its contribution to protecting allied airspace and brought up another topic of common interest, namely the support provided by both countries to the National Army of the Republic of Moldova, in the context of strengthening its defense capabilities," the ministry further stated.

This is not the first air policing mission that the Romanian Air Force has conducted in Lithuania. In 2023, a "Carpathian Vipers" detachment carried out an air policing mission alongside Portuguese partners from April to July. Romania also sent four MiG-21 LanceR aircraft for an air policing mission in the Baltic States in 2007, according to HotNews.ro.

Since 2004, when Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined NATO, the allies have been conducting air policing missions from the Lithuanian airbase in Šiauliai. However, after Russia invaded Crimea, these missions were supplemented from the Ämari airbase in Estonia, as part of NATO's assurance measures for its eastern allies. Missions particularly regard the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

(Photo source: Ministerul Apararii Nationale, Romania on Facebook)