Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Supporting The NATO Eastern Flank

British Ministry of Defence announced that plans are being made, the goal of which is to support the NATO Eastern Flank. Four-months long rotation of four Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighters is going to begin in April. The aircraft will be operating from the Estonian Ämari Air Base, as a part of the Baltic Air Policing initiative, the purpose of which is to guard the airspaces of the Baltic states. RAF assets will be acting as a quick reaction component. The Royal Air Force jets were involved in the operations carried out within the framework of the Baltic Air Policing initiative (being stationed in Lithuania) back in the spring of 2014 and in the summer of 2015 (in 2015, the British fighters were stationed at the Ämari Air Base in Estonia). Portuguese Air Force is involved in the operation as a partner nation.

British Ministry of Defence also announced that HMS “Iron Duke” frigate is going to be involved in the Baltops 16 exercise. The vessel will be accompanied by four other Royal Navy ships. The Frigate has just been involved in the Joint Warrior exercise, off the coast of Scotland. For another three months it is going to be acting as a part of NATO multinational task group.

British planes protecting Baltic skies alongside our warship patrols and troops exercising, show how serious we are about the security of our eastern European partners. With a defence budget that is increasing for the first time in six years, we can use our forces to keep Britain and our allies safe.