NATO expands Baltic air mission to counter new threats, Premeneckas says
Wednesday 30th September 2026 on 17:00 in
Lithuania
NATO’s shift from air policing to air defence in the Baltic states brings new responsibilities and a broader response to threats, Lithuanian military Defence Staff chief Rear Admiral Giedrius Premeneckas said, LRT reported Wednesday.
Speaking at Šiauliai Air Base during a presentation on NATO’s integrated air and missile defence, Premeneckas said the change was more than a new name. Decision-making had accelerated, coordination between the host country and NATO’s air command had improved, and operating rules had been adapted to the current situation, he said.
The former air policing mission focused on monitoring Russian aircraft and identifying those flying near the Baltic states’ airspace. The threats now include different types of drones entering airspace, as well as the continued risk of missiles, Premeneckas said.
NATO decided in July to replace the Baltic air policing mission with an air defence mission, with the change taking effect in August. Lithuania’s Defence Ministry told BNS that the new approach allows the Alliance to deploy its capabilities more flexibly and quickly where they are most needed. The mission operates within NATO’s integrated air and missile defence system, which includes fighter jets, ground-based air defence systems, sensors, surveillance equipment and command structures.
Italy’s armed forces are currently carrying out the NATO air defence mission in Lithuania. In mid-September, Italian aircraft shot down a drone that had entered Lithuania from Belarus, near the Kruonis pumped-storage power plant in Kaišiadorys district. It was the first drone shot down over Lithuania; similar incidents had previously occurred in Latvia and Estonia.
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continuing, Lithuania has issued alerts about possible air threats in recent months. Lieutenant General Guillaume Thomas, deputy commander of NATO’s Allied Air Command, said air capabilities were the first line of defence and could help deter threats.
NATO countries began sending troops and fighter jets to protect the airspace of the Baltic states in March 2004.