NATO jets scramble three times in one day over Baltic

In a busy 24-hour period on September 13, 2024, Italian Eurofighters were scrambled three times in response to potential threats while on NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission.

Operating from Šiauliai Air Force Base in Lithuania, the Italian fighters were called to intercept and monitor aircraft that were not adhering to normal safety procedures, including incorrect or missing flight plans and loss of communication with air traffic control.

These operations were part of NATO’s ongoing commitment to maintain airspace security over the Baltic region.

The Italian Air Force’s Task Force Air – 36th Wing has now scrambled 17 times since August 1, 2024, as directed by NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Uedem in Germany.

The three scrambles in a single day reflect the heightened activity in the region, where NATO has been vigilant in responding to potential threats from unidentified or non-compliant aircraft.

A “scramble” is triggered when an aircraft either flies without an approved or valid flight plan, fails to communicate with relevant air traffic control authorities, or operates without a transponder squawk code. These emergency responses are part of NATO’s wider mission to protect its airspace and demonstrate the Alliance’s readiness to handle any potential airspace violations or incidents.

The NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission has been ongoing for 20 years, with Allied nations taking turns to station fighter jets in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to maintain regional air security.

In addition to the Italian Eurofighters stationed in Lithuania, German Eurofighters are operating out of Lielvarde in Latvia, and Spanish F-18 Hornets are based at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania, providing a multi-national presence ready to respond to any threats.

The presence of NATO air assets in the region is an important deterrent and a demonstration of the Alliance’s commitment to the defence and security of its member nations.

The Italian, German, and Spanish fighter jets have worked in coordination, demonstrating agility and professionalism in their responses to the increased activity in the Baltic skies.

NATO’s air policing mission over the Baltic region is a regional arrangement of peacetime air policing that has involved 17 Allied nations deploying their fighter jets to safeguard the skies over the Baltic Sea.