On April 4, 2023, Germany and the Royal Air Force transferred responsibility for enhanced Air Policing at Ämari, Estonia, in a formal ceremony.
Both nations will continue to secure the Baltic airspace through a collaborative effort under NATO command.
The handover-takeover ceremony was attended by representatives from NATO, Estonia, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
The event marked the conclusion of Germany’s deployment and the commencement of the UK’s mission. The two detachments will overlap for eight weeks, working together to conduct Air Policing duties.
This collaboration, say NATO, enables mixed quick reaction alert scrambles to take off from Ämari, showcasing the units’ close tactical integration. On multiple occasions, Luftwaffe Eurofighters and Royal Air Force Typhoons have launched side-by-side in alert scrambles to intercept Russian military aircraft near NATO airspace.
Since 2014, Germany has deployed fighter jets to Estonia ten times, while the United Kingdom has sent Typhoons on four occasions: in 2015, 2016, and 2019. These deployments, along with those from other NATO allies, demonstrate the alliance’s ongoing cohesion, solidarity, and commitment to collective deterrence and defence.
Job well done. Everyone home safe. Mission accomplished.
Germany has deployed 10 times the RAF only 4. That’s not great.
I think the eFP more than makes up for it. The army and RAF do more than it’s fare share in that area, Germany needs to do more.
How long has eFP been running? I thought as the RAF is a leading force in nato it would of done lots of these deployments. So long as someone does it. Best thing about nato is all pulling together
Germany doesn’t do much of anything else, this is really low hanging fruit. The RAF is dropping bombs in Syria, patrolling the Black Sea AND North Atlantic. Germany isn’t doing any of that.
Well, Germany does have a brigade in Lithuania as lead nation, and is regularly patrolling lots of the Baltic Sea. After all, it is a fair Nato risk share.
The Baltic Air Policing is even older, although it was boosted in 2014. In the late 2000s, Germany still deployed F-4 Phantoms in the role.
German airforce’s 4 operational typhoons breathe a sigh of relief