Poland concludes Baltic Air Policing mission as Hungary and Spain take over

Polish forces have wrapped up their latest deployment as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, which safeguards the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Poland has completed its NATO Baltic Air Policing mission, handing over air patrol duties to Hungary and Spain.

Photo: Polish Ministry of Defence/Waldemar Młynarczyk/Baltic Air Policing

The mission involves monitoring and, when necessary, intercepting and escorting unauthorized aircraft - primarily from Russia.

For the past several months, the Polish contingent operated out of the Šiauliai Air Base in northern Lithuania, using four F-16 fighter jets and a 150-strong personnel unit. They were supported by Romanian forces during the deployment.

Hungary and Spain now take over the mission. Hungarian forces will operate Gripen fighters, while the Spanish Air Force - stationed in Šiauliai, northern Lithuania - will fly Eurofighter Typhoons.

This marks Hungary’s fourth and Spain’s ninth rotation in the mission. Both will be backed by Italian aircraft based at Estonia’s Ämari Air Base.

Polska rotacja #BalticAirPolicing dobiegła końca.
Przez 4 miesiące polscy piloci patrolowali niebo nad krajami bałtyckimi, przechwytując między innymi rosyjskie samoloty@MON_GOV_PL @DGeneralneRSZ https://t.co/bMaTP8swej

— Redakcja Polska Polskiego Radia dla Zagranicy (@RadioZagranica) July 31, 2025

NATO launched the Baltic Air Policing mission in 2004, following the accession of the three Baltic states into the alliance.

Since Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not have their own fighter aircraft, NATO members take turns ensuring the security of their airspace on a rotating basis.

(mp)

Source: IAR/X/@RadioZagranica