Typhoon jets based in Estonia scrambled half a dozen times as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission.

Four Typhoon are on station at Ämari Air Base in Estonia as 140 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) of the Royal Air Force takes its turn on the NATO mission to secure the skies above the Baltic States.

The United Kingdom assumed control of the mission at Amari on April  the 28th from the Belgian Air Force, which had been stationed there since January the 7th this year.

Belgium carried out their operations using four F-16 fighter planes.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: 

The RAF has shown it will respond rapidly to Russian aggression underlining our commitment to our Nato allies.

The officer commanding 140 Expeditionary Air Wing, Wing Commander Gordon Melville, said:

We have proven our ability and resolve to police Nato’s airspace and will continue to secure the skies over the Baltic states every hour of every day.

According to NATO:

“Safeguarding the integrity of Alliance members’ sovereign airspace is a peacetime task contributing to NATO’s collective defence. Longstanding Air Policing involves Quick Reaction Alert (Interceptor) (QRA(I)) aircraft from NATO nations that consistently respond to aircraft that operate in an unidentified, unusual or unsafe manner. Existing military and civilian agreements ensure seamless Air Policing operations across NATO members’ airspace and guarantee security to Alliance members.

NATO Air Policing requires an Air Surveillance and Control System (ASACS), an Air Command and Control (Air C2) structure and QRA(I) aircraft to be available on a 24/7 basis.

The NATO Air Policing mission is executed by two Combined Air Operation Centres located in Torrejon, Spain and Uedem, Germany under the supervision of the Allied Air Command Headquarters, located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany).

NATO Air Policing is a routine and fundamental example of how NATO provides security to its members.”

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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37 COMMENTS

  1. We need to send a clear message to Putin, tell him to stop or we will stop them, what would happen if we was to play the same game flying near there area’s ? Exactly

  7. I wonder how many NATO jets are intercepted by Russian ones per annum. That would make an interesting article, is it not worth considering that Russia too feels under threat, but from NATO.

  8. We and Nato fly and sail close to there area of Interest as much as they do it just a Political game by our leader and the media on that is reported to suit each side

      • The problem is the aircraft intercepted do not have the required transponders on, meaning a danger to civil aircraft in the area, they also try to take short cuts through sovereign airspace.

        NATO aircraft there aren’t to antagonise the Russians (what with 4 aircraft?), but to enforce the sovereignty of NATO members airspace. However why these NATO members can pool assets and resources to police their own airspace is an open question.

    • I agree. Are we ‘intercepting’ Russian aircraft on the edge of our airspace…or pushing the boundaries on theirs?…remember, it wasn’t that long ago when Estonians were serving in the Soviet airforce!. What a joke ?

    • It’s not we, the British public the Russians dispise, it is our government and those that control it. What we should be asking, trying to find out is why our, and the America government fear them so much. I think the Russian government knows a lot of things we really should. I’m starting to believe after years of research they may just hold the key to the start of world peace and put an end to elitist corruption. Just a thought.

  10. No mention in your headline this was all on foreign soil, Estonia,which shares a border with Russia. Nothing to say they crossed into anyone else’s air space. I’m sure Russia are allowed to use as much of their own air space as they like, even if they are only a few meters from the border. A slightly misleading headline if you ask me.

    • They are in international airspace flying through civilian air corridors with no transponders and not filing a flight plan. All of which is breaking international law and a threat to civil aircraft.

    • Their military planes, so they can turn transponders off, nor are they bound by EU or NATO rules. Although potentially dangerous I doubt they’d fly into another plane, and avoid anything coming close to them. No transponders does not make them invisible to radar. How about American military planes flying close to Russian borders with their transponders turned off? They are bound by NATO rules. Very little mention of that. It’s a game, but we don’t get told the full story. It’s misleading headlines like this that instill and perpetuate race hate between nations, and possible war. American war mongers have installed missile batteries all over Europe, close to Russian borders. To defend them, from possible attacks from terrorism, in Iran, Pakistan etc. Why aren’t they as close to those countries as possible? The world wants rid of nuclear weapons, why is the USA upgrading theirs. Further more, isn’t Russia allowed to defend itself, flex it’s muscles every now and again, the US does it all the time. Their against terrorism just as much as we are, they probably know who the real terrorists are. I’ve done my research.

    • It’s not in our headline because that’s not what the article is about. The rest of the article however makes it quite clear what was happening.

      Also, Daniel explained it very well. I suggest you read the article before accusing it of being misleading. Better yet, write one yourself.

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