Italian Eurofighters scramble over Lithuania in NATO Baltic Air Policing

On 3 August, two Italian Eurofighter F‑2000 jets from the Task Force Air “Baltic Thunder III” took off from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania on orders from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany. The aircraft were dispatched to intercept two Russian military planes flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. After reaching the area, the Italian crews identified and escorted the Russian aircraft, complying with NATO procedures.

The mission marked the first scramble by the Italian contingent since the start of its current mandate in Lithuania and demonstrated the task force’s operational readiness. Over the coming months the unit will continue to monitor and defend the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, contributing to the security of NATO’s eastern flank. Baltic Air Policing, a permanent defensive NATO mission launched in 2004, rotates allied fighter assets because the Baltic states lack sufficient national capabilities. Seventeen NATO members have participated to date, with command and control provided by the CAOC in Uedem and Allied Air Command in Ramstein.