Home Aircraft manufacturers Countries Publications About & contact
 
 
 
Baltic Air Policing: Lithuania
 
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.

From September 1, 2014 augmenting nations also operated out of Lithuania, these rotations are marked (A).
 
Šiauliai Air Base
 
Rotation no. Country Start End Aircraft Country rot. no.
1 Belgium 27-03-04 01-07-04 F-16AM 1
2 Denmark 01-07-04 14-10-04 F-16AM 1
3 United Kingdom 14-10-04 21-01-05 Tornado F.3 1
4 Norway 21-01-05 21-03-05 F-16AM 1
5 Netherlands 21-03-05 30-06-05 F-16AM 1
6 Germany 01-07-05 30-09-05 F-4F 1
7 United States 30-09-05 30-12-05 F-16C 1
8 Poland 30-12-05 31-03-06 Mig-29 1
9 Turkey 31-03-06 01-08-06 F-16C 1
10 Spain 01-08-06 01-12-06 Mirage F1M 1
11 Belgium 01-12-06 01-04-07 F-16AM 2
12 France 01-04-07 01-08-07 Mirage 2000C 1
13 Romania 01-08-07 01-11-07 Mig-21 Lancer C 1
14 Portugal 01-11-07 15-12-07 F-16AM 1
15 Norway 15-12-07 15-03-08 F-16AM 2
16 Poland 15-03-08 30-07-08 Mig-29A 2
17 Germany 30-07-08 30-10-08 F-4F 2
18 United States 30-10-08 09-02-09 F-15C 2
19 Denmark 09-02-09 01-05-09 F-16AM 2
20 Czech Republic 01-05-09 31-08-09 JAS-39C 1
21 Germany 31-08-09 04-01-10 EF-2000 / F-4F 3
22 France 04-01-10 30-04-10 Mirage 2000C 2
23 Poland 30-04-10 01-09-10 Mig-29A 3
24 United States 01-09-10 05-01-11 F-15C 3
25 Germany 05-01-11 28-04-11 F-4F 4
26 France 28-04-11 02-09-11 Mirage 2000C 3
27 Denmark 02-09-11 04-01-12 F-16AM 3
28 Germany 04-01-12 26-04-12 F-4F 5
29 Poland 26-04-12 31-08-12 Mig-29 4
30 Czech Republic 31-08-12 03-01-13 JAS-39C 2
31 Denmark 03-01-13 30-04-13 F-16AM 4
32 France 30-04-13 30-09-13 Mirage F1CR 4
33 Belgium 30-09-13 03-01-14 F-16AM 3
34 United States 03-01-14 30-04-14 F-15C 4
35 Poland 30-04-14 01-09-14 Mig-29 5
35 (A) United Kingdom 01-09-14 01-09-14 Typhoon FGR.4 2
36 Portugal 01-09-14 31-12-14 F-16AM 2
36 (A) Canada 01-09-14 31-12-14 CF-188 1
37 Italy 01-05-17 30-04-15 EF-2000 1
37 (A) Poland 08-01-15 30-04-15 Mig-29 6
38 Norway 01-05-15 31-08-15 F-16AM 3
38 (A) Italy 01-05-15 31-08-15 EF-2000 2
39 Hungary 01-09-15 31-12-15 JAS-39C 1
40 Spain 07-01-16 01-05-16 EF-2000 2
41 Portugal 01-05-16 31-08-16 F-16AM 3
42 France 01-09-16 31-12-16 Mirage 2000-5 5
43 Netherlands 05-01-17 30-04-17 F-16AM 2
44 Poland 01-05-17 30-08-17 F-16C/D 7
45 United States 30-08-17 09-01-18 F-15C 5
46 Denmark 09-01-18 02-05-18 F-16AM 5
47 Portugal 02-05-18 31-08-18 F-16AM 4
47 (A) Spain 02-05-18 31-08-18 EF-2000 3
48 Belgium 31-08-18 03-01-19 F-16AM 4
49 Poland 03-01-19 02-05-19 F-16C 8
50 Hungary 02-05-19 02-09-19 JAS-39C 2
50 (A) Spain 02-05-19 02-09-19 EF-18M 4
51 Belgium 02-09-19 02-01-20 F-16AM 5
51 (A) Denmark 02-09-19 02-01-20 F-16AM 6
52 Belgium 02-01-20 30-04-20 F-16AM 6
53 Spain 30-04-20 01-09-20 EF-18M 5
53 (A) United Kingdom 30-04-20 31-08-20 Typhoon FGR.4 4
54 Italy 01-09-20 01-01-21 EF-2000 3
55 Italy 01-01-21 29-04-21 EF-2000 4
56 Spain 29-04-21 31-08-21 EF-2000 6
57 Portugal 31-08-21 30-11-21 F-16AM 5
57 Denmark 31-08-21 30-11-21 F-16AM 7
58 Poland 30-11-22 31-03-22 F-16C 9
58 (A) Denmark 28-01-22 31-03-22 F-16AM 8
59 Spain 31-03-22 01-08-22 EF-18M 7
59 (A) Czech Republic 31-03-22 01-08-22 JAS-39C 3
60 Hungary 01-08-22 01-12-22 JAS-39C 3
61 Poland 01-11-22 04-04-23 F-16C 10
61 (A) France 01-12-22 04-04-23 Rafale C 6
62 Portugal 04-04-23 03-08-23 F-16AM 6
62 (A) Romania 04-04-23 03-08-23 F-16AM 2
63 Italy 03-08-23 30-11-23 EF-2000 5
64 Belgium 30-11-23 28-03-24 F-16AM 7
64 (A) France 30-11-23 28-03-24 Mirage 2000-5 7
65 Spain 28-03-24   EF-18M 7
65 (A) Portugal 28-03-24   F-16AM 7
           
 
Comment(s):

(A): Augmenting.
Rotations without (A) are Lead nations for the entire BAP mission.
 
Photo gallery
 
Belgium F-16AM Canada CF-188 Czech republic JAS-39C
     
Denmark F-16AM France Mirage 2000-5F France Mirage F.1CR
     
Germany EF-2000 Germany F-4F Hungary JAS-39C
     
Italy EF-2000 Netherlands F-16AM Norway F-16AM
     
Poland F-16C Poland Mig-29 Portugal F-16AM 
     
Romania Mig-21 / Lancer Spain EF-2000 Spain Mirage F.1M
     
Turkey F-16C United Kingdom Tornado F.3 United Kingdom Tornado GR.4
     
 
United States F-15 United States F-16