NATO air policing intensifies in Baltic Sea region

Military flight activity in the Baltic Sea region has increased in political and military significance following the war in Ukraine. As Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia do not possess their own fighter jet fleets, NATO air policing has become a daily necessity to ensure airspace control.

The NATO Baltic Air Policing mission, active since 2004, involves rotating fighter jets through bases such as Šiauliai to identify aircraft that do not follow flight plans or fail to respond to civil aviation control signals. This mission serves both a practical safety function and a strategic deterrent role.

Concurrently, Russia maintains an active military presence in the Kaliningrad region and over international waters. While regular flights over international airspace are not inherently violations of international law, risks arise when aircraft fly without flight plans, with transponders turned off, or in close proximity to other vessels, necessitating NATO interceptions to ensure civil aviation safety.