Tri-Service

RAF Typhoons To Lead NATO Air Policing Mission

Four RAF Typhoons are to take up a leading role in the NATO mission policing the Baltic airspace.

The mission's aim is to reassure allies and deter threats such as aggression from a resurgent Russia.

The RAF jets will fly from Amari Air Base in Estonia until the end of August as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission, alongside the Portuguese Air Force.

They'll take over from Spain and Belgium, who've been policing the Baltic skies since the start of the year.

The jets, alongside pilots and engineers, will be on 24/7 stand by to respond to any threats, with two of the four Typhoons ready to take off at a moment’s notice to provide security to the airspace over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:

"This deployment underlines our commitment to the sovereignty of the democratic nations of Eastern Europe.

"24 hours a day, seven days a week for the next four months, our RAF Typhoons will be ready to respond instantly to Russian aggression in Baltic airspace."

It's the third year in a row the UK has committed to the mission, after rotations in 2014 and 2015.

Last time, Typhoon fighters were scrambled 17 times, and intercepted over 40 Russian aircraft. During one launch last July, the Typhoons intercepted 10 separate Russian aircraft, including eight fighters.

More: RAF Jets Scrambled Over 100 Times To Protect UK Airspace Since 2010

Wing Commander Gordon Melville, Commanding Officer of 140 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF, said:

"I am very proud to be leading 140 Expeditionary Air Wing as we again provide air policing support to our Estonian NATO allies.

"Although we are all far from our families and friends while over here, our hosts have given us a warm welcome and we are looking forward to working with them over the next four months."

The Baltic Air Policing mission is a permanent NATO effort that sees alliance members without their own air policing assets assisted by others in four-monthly cycles.

In addition to the air mission, Britain is also currently training the Ukrainian Armed Forces in countering-IEDs, operations in urban environments, medical care, logistics and operational planning.

An RAF Voyager landing in Estonia with service personnel taking part in the detachment

The UK is also contributing five ships including HMS Iron Duke, HMS Ocean and HMS Pembroke to the NATO maritime exercise Baltops 16, in the Baltic Sea.