From DefenseNews

 

U.S. To Take Over Baltic NATO Air Patrols in October

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, VILNIUS

 

The United States will take over NATO patrols of the air space of the three Baltic states in October, the Lithuanian defense ministry said March 16.

 

The announcement came after Lithuanian Defense Minister Gediminas Kirkilas held talks in the United States with his U.S. counterpart Donald Rumsfeld.

 

“Kirkilas stressed the importance of NATO air police mission in the Baltics and expressed satisfaction that Americans will take over the mission from October to December,” the statement said.

 

Four Norwegian F-16 fighters have been deployed at Zokniai air base, in northern Lithuania, since January. They are to be replaced by the Dutch military in April.

 

Because Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia do not have the capacity to effectively patrol their air space, NATO countries have been taking turns to police the skies of the Baltic states since March 2004, when the three countries joined NATO.

13:13 31.08.2006

 

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania ask NATO to control their territories till 2018

 

During their meeting in Jurmala (Latvia) the defense ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have decided to ask NATO to prolong its air control over their territories till 2018, the Estonian Defense Ministry told REGNUM on August 30. According to the current agreement, NATO will control the air space of the Baltic states till 2007.

 

Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas said that the Baltic states will be able to control their air space on their own no earlier than in mid 2010s.

 

The DMs also said that the air control should be carried out from the airdromes of all the three states. Presently NATO fighters are deployed only in Lithuania. Estonian DM Jurgen Ligi said that they might use also the airdromes in Emari, Estonia, and Lielvarde, Latvia.

 

Permanent news address: http://www.regnum.ru/english/696940.html