Airforces Monthly - February 2017

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BALTIC AIR POLICING BALTIC PATROL Since 2004, NATO’s Baltic Air Policing has operated a roundthe-clock peacetime mission to preserve the alliance’s airspace integrity. Thomas Newdick checked in with the French and German contingents making up its 42nd rotation. THE ARMÉE de l’Air (French Air Force) took on the responsibility for the air defence of the three Baltic states for the fifth time on September 1. This latest French deployment began with the touchdown of four Mirage 2000-5F fighters at Šiauliai airfield on the evening of August 28. The Lithuanian air base had previously hosted Armée de l’Air detachments in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2013 within the framework of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission. Previous French involvement included Mirage 2000s from Escadrons de Chasse (EC) 1/12 in 2007, EC 1/12 in 2010 and EC 2/5 and EC 1/12 in 2011; and Mirage F1CRs from ER 2/33 in 2013. NATO airpower in Eastern Europe saw further reinforcement by Armée de l’Air Mirage 2000s from EC 2/5 and EC 1/5 and Rafales from EC 2/30 and EC 1/7 which deployed to Malbork, Poland in 2014. The latest French contingent at Šiauliai replaced four Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa) F-16s after their fourmonth rotation, the four Mirages flying in from EC 1/2 ‘Cigognes’ at Base Aérienne (BA) 116 Luxeuil in eastern France. On August 31 the French and Portuguese contingents conducted an exchange ceremony at Šiauliai before protection of the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania was taken over by the Armée de l’Air – which brought around 100 personnel, mostly technicians, from Luxeuil to Lithuania. Speaking at the ceremony, Lt Cdr Boris Pomirol, commander of the French detachment in Lithuania, said: “I’m really proud to receive this symbolic key to the Baltic airspace from our Portuguese friends. We will do our best to demonstrate how professional we are and how committed we are in the NATO missions.” The French airmen were drawn from EC 1/2 at Luxeuil, which also provided the aircraft involved: as of mid-December they comprised Mirage 2000-5Fs 40/2-EX, 57/2-ET, 62/2-ED and 67/2-MH. The pilots were rotated after around two months. Meanwhile commando paratroopers of the Commando Parachutiste de l’Air provided force protection to secure the jets on the ground. While the Armée de l’Air also brought fire crews and other specialised personnel, the rotation did not require its own surveillance officers, the task being covered by the Baltic Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) at Karmelava, Lithuania, which is jointly manned by staff from the three Baltic states. By mid-December, the French contingent had flown 22 live interceptions (known as Alpha scrambles), of which four had been at night. At least as important, however, were the training sorties (Tango scrambles), which amounted to 123 in the same period. In total, 22 aircraft were intercepted. One of the Mirage pilots at Šiauliai, Major Mathieu, highlighted the major differences in flying quick reaction alert (QRA) in the Baltic compared to France: “Currently, in France we’re used to taking off as a single-ship, while we always get airborne as a pair in BAP. “That’s the main difference, as all the procedures are more or less the same under NATO or French control. Flying as a pair allows us to keep support in terms of radio coverage, on-board system redundancy and assistance in the event of a failure.” 84 FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> #347 www.airforcesmonthly.com
BALTIC AIR POLICING Armed for action, a Mirage 2000-5F launches from Šiauliai airfield. Bartek Bera In cockpit with the French detachment at Šiauliai. Armée de l’Air “By mid-December, the French contingent had flown 22 live interceptions (known as Alpha scrambles), of which four had been at night” A pair of live-armed Mirage 2000-5Fs overflies the squadron detachment at Šiauliai. Bartek Bera #347 FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong> 85
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Airforces Monthly - February 2017

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