Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighter jets have deployed to Estonia to take over NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, replacing an Italian detachment, according to NATO Allied Air Command.
The aircraft are operating from Ämari Air Base under the control of NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany, and will maintain Quick Reaction Alert duties to monitor and, if required, intercept aircraft approaching Allied airspace.
The deployment includes four F-16M aircraft and around 95 personnel, including pilots, engineers and support staff. From Ämari, the Portuguese detachment will contribute to continuous air surveillance across the Baltic region alongside other NATO assets.
“Our personnel are ready to contribute to the security of the Baltic region and to work alongside our Estonian colleagues and our other Allies,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Augusto Figueiredo, commander of the Portuguese detachment.
The rotation marks the ninth time Portugal has contributed to NATO’s air policing mission, and the second time it has operated from Ämari, having previously deployed primarily to Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania.
According to NATO, the transition from the Italian Air Force was carried out routinely, reflecting the alliance’s established rotation model and interoperability between participating nations.
Baltic Air Policing is a standing NATO mission designed to protect the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which do not maintain their own fighter aircraft. The mission forms part of NATO’s broader deterrence posture on its eastern flank, with regular rotations of Allied air power intended to maintain a continuous presence in the region.
They seem to be more NATO orientated than their neighbour next door’.