No more than 15 minutes. This is the maximum time fighter jet pilots have in order get airborne and intercept an aircraft approaching NATO borders. Combat duties are scheduled round the clock. The TVN24 reporter Artur Molęda watched NATO air patrol mission inside an Airbus A330 MRTT. The aircraft from the Netherlands to Lithuania, passing next to the Russian semi-exclave of Kaliningrad.
NATO's Airbus A330 MRTT departed from the air base in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, flew over Germany and Poland, and landed at the military base in Šiauliai, northern Lithuania. On its way back, the aircraft flew over Finland, Norway, and Great Britain. The mission was carried out in close proximity to the Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian semi-exclave located between Poland and Lithuania.
The Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport is a European aerial refuelling and military transport aircraft based on the civilian Airbus A330.
The machine was assisted by a pair of Polish F-16 fighter jets.
"Besides the enduring Air Policing mission, NATO and the Allies have been focusing on a further increasing of our ability to coordinate and execute complex multinational deterrence and defence operations," said Major General Harold Van Pee, Commander of NATO’s northern Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem, who joined the flight.
Gen. Van Pee stressed NATO aircraft never enter Kaliningrad's airspace, but assured the Alliance closely monitors the Russian province as it is heavily armed and has its own rapid response forces.
"We conduct enhanced Vigilance Activities in compliance with international laws and standards. They are a clear expression of NATO’s commitment and readiness to enhance regional security and stability."
The Baltic Air Policing mission has been in operation since 2004, when Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia joined the North-Atlantic Alliance, and because those countries don't have their own fighter jets. NATO aircraft are stationed in Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania, and Amari Air Base, Estonia.
According to Colonel Mihaita Marin "Mitza" of Romanian Air Forces, jet fighter pilots have less than 15 minutes to get airborne after receiving orders. That response time can be shortened to 10 or even 2 minutes depending on circumstances - Colonel "Mitza" explained.
In 2022, NATO fighter jest intercepted as many 570 Russian aircraft approaching the Alliance airspace. The majority of those incidents took place over the Baltic Sea.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, TVN24, ac.nato.int
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: TVN24