Press Releases
NATO Air Policing Training In Baltic
October 20, 2008 Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany (reu). NATO units from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and the United States of America will conduct a joint air policing training event in the Baltic region on 21 October 2008.
The focus of this training event is on combined Air Policing enhancing air interoperability between Estonia, Latvia and other NATO countries. The training is one in a series of routine activities that uses regionally based NATO assets to sharpen procedures and readiness of Estonia’s, Latvia’s and Lithuania’s respective Air Command and Control Systems. During the training event on 21 October standard peacetime operating procedures apply. No additional aircraft from other NATO countries will be redeployed for the training, rather the participating aircraft will fly in from their home bases and return there after the event.
The aim of the one-day event is to train personnel in applying methods of NATO’s concept for integrated Air Defense. This is necessary because since the accession of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to NATO, the Alliance has gradually implemented procedures, which are to enable these members the same standard in Air Policing that is available with the other Allies. First steps in this direction were taken in 2004 and since then, NATO has been providing Air Policing assets for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. For other member countries, too, like Luxembourg, Iceland, Slovenia agreements exist to ensure a single standard of air security within NATO’s Area of Responsibility. The scheduled training event is closely coordinated with civilian air traffic control agencies in the region.