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NATO Air - policing mission
January 5, rotation of air units conducting the QRA Baltic Air Policing mission was take place at the Lithuanian Air Force Air Base in Šiauliai.
US troops was replaced by a German air contingent with six F-4 „Phantom" after four months of standby on the Baltic Air Policing mission.
Germany was in charge of QRA mission in the Baltic States for the fourth time.
The country also guarded Baltic airspace in 2005 and 2008 (with F-4F „Phantom") and in 2009 (with „Eurofighter").
The current, fourth, rotation of German troops comes from Wittmund Air Force Base Germany.
It includes over a hundred troops: pilots, technicians, medical personnel, communications specialists, etc.
Fire and recue service of the Security Regiment of the German Air Force will also deploy on the mission.
The major part of equipment and inventory required for conducting mission was delivered to Šiauliai Air Base on December 27.
Arrival of the first two German fighters was moved from January 3 to January 4 because of weather conditions.
NATO countries have been deploying air assets to ensure security of the Baltic skies since March 2004 when the three Baltic States entered NATO.
The mission has been conducted on a three-month rotation basis by Belgian, Danish, United Kingdom's, Norway's, Dutch, German, US, and Polish troops since then; in spring of 2006 a four-month duty period was introduced and Turkey, Spain, Belgium, and France have been conducting the mission on a rotational basis till present.
http://key.aero/view_news.asp?ID=2894&t ... n=military
F-4F takes on last Baltic mission
F-4F Phantoms have taken on the Baltic Quick Reaction Alert Policing mission for the last time.
Gary Parsons - 6-Jan-2011
Lithuanian AF image
January 6: F-4F Phantoms from the German Air Force’s JG 74 have taken on the Baltic Quick Reaction Alert Policing mission at the Lithuanian Air Force base at Šiauliai.
This is the fourth time that the Luftwaffe has taken on the NATO-controlled duty and the third time that the F-4F has been used.
It will be the last time for the Phantom, which is scheduled to be retired in 2012.
JG 74 will be on duty for four months – a hundred personnel have deployed from Wittmund in Germany including pilots, technicians, medics, communications specialists and firefighters.