During the ceremony at Šiauliai Air Base, the participants underlined that NATO's Baltic air policing mission had set an example of great solidarity of NATO Member countries and of Smart Defence. The Minister of National Defence of Lithuania Juozas Olekas, representatives of the Air Forces of Belgium and the United States also attended the event.
The U.S. Air Force takes part in the NATO air policing mission for the fourth time. The U.S. air personnel will operate four F-15 C Eagle fighter-jets. The150-strong U.S. contingent includes troops and specialists, who have arrived from their home base in the United Kingdom.
NATO's Baltic air policing mission which maintains sovereign airspace of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia marks its 10th anniversary in 2014. Fourteen NATO Member countries have already taken part in the Baltic air policing mission.
