The presidents of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania are calling on NATO to move beyond its long-running Baltic Air Policing mission and adopt a full-fledged air defense posture on the alliance’s northeastern flank.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said the current air policing arrangement, in place since the three Baltic states joined NATO, is no longer sufficient in the face of heightened regional tensions and evolving aerial threats. He argued that deterrence must be backed by robust air and missile defense capabilities, not just quick-reaction fighter patrols.
The Baltic Air Policing mission provides rotational NATO fighter jets for quick reaction alert to guard the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which lack their own combat aircraft. While the mission has been a core element of NATO’s presence in the region for two decades, Baltic leaders now want it complemented by permanent or rotational ground-based air defense systems and enhanced counter-drone capabilities.
Work is already under way within NATO on a Rotational Air Defense Model that would see allied ground-based air defense systems, including long-range assets such as Patriot batteries, rotated through the Baltic states to provide continuous coverage. Baltic leaders say this step is essential to close gaps in protection and ensure credible air defense on the alliance’s eastern flank.