Polish F-16s in Lithuania for NATO Air Policing mission

Polish F-16 fighter jets have deployed to Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania to take over NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, according to a NATO update published on 31 March 2025.

The deployment, which includes four F-16 Fighting Falcons, will see the Polish Air Force assume responsibility alongside Romanian forces until July 2025.

The Polish detachment replaces outgoing French and Italian Air Force units in a handover ceremony attended by Lieutenant General Thorsten Poschwatta, Commander of NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany.

Poland’s participation in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing dates back to 2006, and the country has since been a regular contributor to this rotational mission. The current deployment reflects the continued effort by Allies to ensure the security of the airspace over Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

NATO’s Air Policing is a peacetime operation involving 17 Allied nations, coordinated by Allied Air Command and executed through NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centres in Uedem and Torrejon, Spain.

The presence of Polish and Romanian fighter jets at Šiauliai enables flexible planning and enhances deterrence in the region, say NATO.

“The deployment of two detachments allows for a more robust and responsive posture,” NATO said in its statement, “sending a clear signal of the Alliance’s readiness and commitment to collective defence.”

The Polish jets join the mission at a time of heightened attention to the Alliance’s eastern flank, reaffirming NATO’s intention to maintain a credible and visible air presence in the Baltic region.