Mission will last until July 31
A force of around 90 military personnel and four F-16 aircraft began a NATO air policing mission in the Baltic countries today.
According to a statement released by the General Staff of the Armed Forces (EMGFA), the Portuguese soldiers will be part of NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing 25 mission in the Baltic airspace.
The Portuguese detachment, “made up of four F-16Ms and up to 95 military personnel”, will operate from Ämari Air Base in Estonia – a country that borders Russia.
During the period of the mission, which runs until July 31, the F-16s will be “on permanent alert to identify, monitor and intervene, whenever determined, in the airspace of the Baltic region”, also carrying out “surveillance of military and civilian aircraft that do not comply with international flight regulations”.
This type of NATO mission aims to “support allied countries by ensuring that their airspace is intact, safe and secure”.
According to the EMGFA note, this will be the eighth time a Portuguese force has participated in an air policing mission in the Baltics and the first time it has been carried out from Estonia.
In 2024, Portuguese Armed Forces took on the Enhanced Air Policing mission from Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania.
This latest force joins another Portuguese contingent of around 40 Air Force personnel who left for Estonia last week on an Atlantic Alliance mission to monitor and promote maritime security in the Baltic Sea.
As part of this mission, Portugal also sent a P-3C aircraft to the Ämari air base.
Source: LUSA
