NATO Baltic Air Defense Mission Gets Combat Mandate
NATO has changed its Baltic air mission from patrol to combat mandate, expanding powers for commanders and pilots after drone incidents on eastern flank.
NATO command has changed the mandate of its mission protecting the airspace of the Baltic states from a patrol format to a combat one, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in an interview with BNS.
According to Nauseda, one of the key results of the summit was the transformation of NATO’s air policing mission into a NATO air defense mission. He said the shift would significantly strengthen Lithuania’s air defense capabilities.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said the decision would not bring major visible changes for ordinary citizens. The main difference, he explained, lies in the details — above all in the new powers granted to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and to the pilots involved in the mission.
BNS noted that since the start of the Ukrainian conflict, the Baltic states have actively pushed for a change in the alliance’s mission format. In recent months, Baltic countries have repeatedly reported drones entering their airspace. The aircraft were later identified as Ukrainian.
Earlier, in March, the defense ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia issued a joint statement calling on NATO members to strengthen air defense on the eastern flank after incidents involving Ukrainian strike UAVs crossing into their airspace.