On 2 September, Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė and representatives of Denmark, France, Estonia, Latvia, as well as Lithuania, will attend an Air Contingent rotation ceremony at the Lithuanian Air force Air Base located in Šiauliai.
Danish Air Contingent is to replace the outgoing rotation of the Baltic Air-policing mission – French Air Force Contingent which guarded Baltic airspace since April.
On 31 August, four Danish Air Force fighters F-16 and 70 troops deployed on the Baltic Air-policing mission in the Lithuanian Air Force Air Base from their permanent place of deployment in Skrydstrup, Denmark.
This is the third time troops of Denmark will be conducting NATO Baltic Air-policing mission. In 2004 and 2010 Denmark ensured security of airspace above the Baltic states, i.e. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
The aim of Air-policing mission is to protect NATO’s airspace through patrolling and responding to possible airspace violations. Air-policing function is ensured in all three Baltic states. Although Lithuania does not posses national air assets (fighter-jets), the mission is conducted by air assets sent in on solidarity principle by NATO members.
