NATO air policing mission in Baltics upgraded to air defence

Lithuania’s presidential advisor Deividas Matulionis has said that NATO’s decision to reclassify its air policing mission in the Baltic states as an air defence mission will grant pilots of deployed aircraft broader authority, according to a report by LRT.

Matulionis stated that the change means pilots stationed in Lithuania will no longer be limited to escorting hostile aircraft but will have expanded powers to make operational decisions. He added that this shift also opens the possibility of receiving additional air defence capabilities from allies on a rotational basis.

“This means greater authority for the aircraft that remain here, with rotations continuing, and the opportunity to occasionally receive additional defence capabilities from allies,” Matulionis said in an interview with ELTA.

He noted that new rules of engagement will allow pilots to take specific actions in given situations, though he did not disclose details as they are classified. “Aircraft will be able to perform broader functions, not just escorting hostile aircraft,” he confirmed.

The advisor emphasised that the move enables NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe to independently deploy air defence assets to escalating regions without waiting for political approval. “When a situation escalates in a particular region, the commander will have additional authority to quickly concentrate the necessary air defence forces from across Europe in that specific area. And this will not require a political decision,” he said.

Following last week’s NATO summit in Ankara, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda announced the decision to upgrade the mission. Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys previously stated that Lithuania had long sought this change, which is now being implemented and should take effect soon.

According to Budrys, the decision allows NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe to grant certain authorities and use air policing mission fighters to defend Baltic airspace, as well as permit the use of certain types of weapons.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas did not confirm whether this would automatically mean a larger deployment of air defence forces but said the NATO decision marks a shift towards a “flexible and defensive deterrence” rather than political discussions or debates.

NATO’s air policing mission in the Baltic states began in March 2004 after Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia joined the alliance. Since then, aircraft from Belgium, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the UK, Spain, the US, Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, Romania, Turkey, Hungary, Germany, and Italy have patrolled Baltic airspace.