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Symbolic transfer of the Baltic airspace key ceremony marks the 20th anniversary of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission and Lithuania's NATO membership

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2024-03-28
International cooperation

20 years ago, on March 29, at 16:47 in the afternoon, the first Allied F-16 fighter jets of the Belgian Air Force entered the Lithuanian airspace and touched down at the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Šiauliai thus beginning the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states. 20 years ago Lithuania became a full-fledged member of NATO, the strongest defensive Alliance in the world.

As Lithuania marks the 20th anniversary in NATO and as the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission host, the date was marked by the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission Air Detachment hand over-take over ceremony on March 28 at Šiauliai. The symbolic key to the Baltic airspace was passed from the Belgian and French contingent commanders to the Spanish and Portuguese contingent commanders.

The event was attended by President of the Republic of Lithuania HE Gitanas Nausėda, Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Gen Valdemaras Rupšys, Chief of Staff of NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Admiral Joachim Rühle, Deputy Commander Joint Force Command Brunssum Lt Gen Luis Lanchares, and other high NATO officials, representatives of foreign diplomatic missions.

"NATO membership has given us security prospects along with strong commitments and responsibilities. We are clear-eyed about the increased importance of Allied military presence in the region, the meaning of a modern and fine-tuned Lithuanian Armed Forces, as well as of a patriotic and resilient society: we all together are the constructors of a strong and safe country, and as we grow stronger, so does NATO," Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas said.

The ceremony was also be attended by Belgian Air Force Maj Gen Harold Van Pee, commander of the first Air Policing Mission rotation in the Baltic states back in 2004 20 years ago, who currently serves as commander of the Combined Air Operations Centre which coordinates the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states.

"Dear General, it is my pleasure to present to you this NATO flag on behalf of NATO once again, like I presented it to your predecessor 20 years ago. I hope this flag will be kept safe by numerous generations to come," said Maj Gen H. Van Pee to Chief of Defence Gen. V. Rupšys.

"Šiauliai airfield was yet to become an airbase capable of hosting the fast jet aircraft in 2004: the runway was crumbling, there were no taxiways, no pavement to park the jets, no shelters for them, no reliable power supply, data transfer and mobile connection was very limited, there was no food supply nor lodging for personnel, no trucks for fuel, fire fighting capabilities, vehicles for cleaning the roads, cranes to take care of accidents… Šiauliai was a bare base in the full sense of the word. We were given only a few days to build it up to at least some sort of satisfactory condition that met at least the minimum standard.

It was really mostly because of the amazing Host Nation Support from the Lithuanian institutions nad Armed Forces that we were able to receive the first F-16s on time. All we had to do is ask and we would get it: not within weeks or days but right then and there. So those few days were enough to transform Šiauliai into something that resembled an operating airbase. The process that would have taken many months if not years was completed quick as a flash," Maj Gen H. Van Pee recalled the beginning of his service in Lithuania.

The NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states has been conducted since late March of 2004 when Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia became members of NATO. The Allies have been working side by side for 20 years to ensure the integrity and security of the skies over the Baltic states. The current rotation conducted by the Belgian and French contingents from Šiauliai is the 64th one since its start in 2004. The Allies oversee and protect the Baltic airspace 365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

"There is no another military alliance in the world as strong, progressive and united as NATO. And it is more than beautiful words: the NATO umbrella, collective security guarantees are in force since the very first day of Lithuania's membership in the Alliance when the Belgian Air Force fighter jets landed in Šiauliai. High-readiness Allied troops with cutting-edge tactical equipment in Lithuania is a very strong and clear message of deterrence to the enemy. The twenty years of NATO membership were years of unceasing development and education for the Lithuanian Armed Forces. We continue growing and improving, we are developing national capabilities together with the Allies to deter and if necessary - to defend and defeat," spoke Chief of Defence of Lithuania Gen Valdemaras Rupšys.

So far, 17 Allies deployed their equipment and other capabilities to the mission in the Baltic states conducted from the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Šauliai and from Amari in Estonia, so that NATO airspace over the region is protected and a reliable deterrence in ensured.

"The people of Lithuania chose to joint NATO knowing the price. They did so because they believed in ideals the Alliance cherishes: democracy, human rights, rule of law," said Chief of Staff of NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Admiral Joachim Rühle.

The NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states is a form of regional NATO peacetime mission that demonstrates the Allied commitment to protect every inch of NATO's eastern flank territory. There are agreements on airspace guard and defence in force for the NATO Allies who do not have suitable air capabilities (Albania, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Slovenia. In its turn, the Baltic countries render top quality Host Nation Support in the form of national aviation bases and surveillance and control capabilities.

Protection of the Baltic airspace is one of the key priorities for deterrence and defence in the region. NATO took a decision last year during the Vilnius Summit to strengthen the NATO Integrated Air Defense System with the Rotational NATO Air Defence Model, first in the eastern flank. It is now a work in progress in practical terms with an aim to deploy air defence and missile capabilities in the Baltic region.