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Baltic Air Policing: Estonia
 
Latest update: April 2024
 
The three Baltic nations Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined NATO in March 2004. As the countries didn't en don't operate fighter aircraft the NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission stood up to safeguard the integrity and security of the Baltic airspace. BAP missions are rotated between other NATO countries. The first rotation was conducted by Belgium sending its F-16s to Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania. Until April 2014 all BAP missions were conducted from Šiauliai Air Base. As a result of the changing security situation in Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Crimea) a second operating base was actived at Ämari Air Base in Estonia from May 2014. The Danish Air Force with its F-16s was the first NATO member conducting BAP missions from Ämari Air Base. For a short period also Malbork Air Base in Poland was used to support BAP and reassure the Baltic countries and Poland.

In 2024 due to runway and infrastructure works at Ämari Air Base that will last until later in the year Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia became the third air base in the Baltic nations to host the BAP rotations.

Šiauliai is hosting the BAP lead nation while Ämari and Lielvarde Air Bases is host to the augmenting nation.
 
Ämari Air Base
 
Rotation no. Country Start End Aircraft Country rot. no.
1 Denmark 30-04-14 01-09-14 F-16AM 1
2 Germany 01-09-14 31-12-14 EF-2000 1
3 Spain 01-05-17 30-04-15 EF-2000 1
4 United Kingdom 01-05-15 31-08-15 Typhoon FGR.4 1
5 Germany 01-09-15 31-15-15 EF-2000 2
6 Belgium 07-01-16 01-05-16 F-16AM 1
7 United Kingdom 01-05-16 31-08-16 Typhoon FGR.4 2
8 Germany 01-09-16 31-12-16 EF-2000 3
9 Germany 05-01-17 30-04-17 EF-2000 4
10 Spain 01-05-17 01-09-17 EF-18M 2
11 Belgium 01-09-17 10-01-18 F-16AM 2
12 Italy 10-01-18 03-05-18 EF-2000 1
13 France 03-05-18 30-08-18 Mirage 2000-5 1
14 Germany 30-08-18 01-01-19 EF-2000 5
15 Germany 01-01-19 02-05-19 EF-2000 6
16 United Kingdom 02-05-19 02-09-19 Typhoon FGR.4 3
17 Czech Republic 02-09-19 02-01-20 JAS-39C 1
18 Poland 02-01-20 01-05-20 F-16C 1
19 France 30-04-20 01-09-20 Mirage 2000-5 2
20 Germany 01-09-20 01-01-21 EF-2000 7
21 Germany 01-01-21 29-04-21 EF-2000 8
22 Italy 29-04-21 31-08-21 F-35A 2
23 Italy 31-08-21 01-12-21 EF-2000 3
24 Belgium 01-12-21 31-03-22 F-16AM 3
24 (A) United States 26-01-22   F-15E 1
25 France 31-03-22 01-08-22 Mirage 2000-5F 3
25 (A) Denmark 31-03-22 01-08-22 F-16AM 2
26 Germany 01-08-22 01-12-22 EF-2000 9
26 (A) Belgium 03-10-22 04-11-22 F-16AM 4
27 Germany 01-12-22   EF-2000 10
27 (A) Spain 26-08-22 01-12-22 EF-2000 3
28 United Kingdom 04-04-23 03-08-23 Typhoon FGR.4 4
29 Spain 03-08-23 30-11-23 EF-2000 4
30 Poland 30-11-23 28-02-24 F-16C/D 2
           
 
Comment(s):

(A): Augmenting.
 
Photo gallery
 
Belgian Air Component F-16AM Danish Air Force F-16AM German Air Force EF-2000
     
French Air Force Mirage 2000-5 Italian Air Force EF-2000. Portuguese Air Force F-16AM.
     
Spanish Air Force EF-18M Spanish Air Force EF-2000 Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR.4
     
     
United States Air Force F-15E 4th FW.