>For the coming months, four Hungarian JAS-39 fighter aircraft and some eighty personnel will lead the mission out of Šiauliai air base in Lithuania, while four German Eurofighter aircraft will fly out of Ämari in Estonia. They will be joined by Italian Eurofighters based in Malbork, Poland.
>The new contingents replace Belgian, French and Spanish units that have been patrolling the region since April. After several months at Šiauliai, Czech Air Force jets will continue their deployment through the summer. Allies have taken turns guarding the skies over Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania since they joined NATO in 2004, as the three countries do not have their own fighter aircraft. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, NATO has further bolstered air patrols in the eastern part of the Alliance, with additional aircraft.
> as the three countries do not have their own fighter aircraft
Holy shit, just imagine the outrage if Germany was the one saving billions by not having their own jets and relying on others for their own sky.
Inb4: Oh but they are so small mimimi. The Baltics have a population of just over 6million, Switzerland has 8.6million. They have 52 combat aircraft and are going to buy 36 F-35A. The Baltics are big enough to field the ~12 jets (+8 in maintenance or training) needed for their own air policing.
Oh but the Swiss are rich! Well Slovakia ha a lower GDP per capita than the Baltics and a lower population and even they have 11 MiG-29 and are buying 14 F-16V from the US.
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>For the coming months, four Hungarian JAS-39 fighter aircraft and some eighty personnel will lead the mission out of Šiauliai air base in Lithuania, while four German Eurofighter aircraft will fly out of Ämari in Estonia. They will be joined by Italian Eurofighters based in Malbork, Poland.
>The new contingents replace Belgian, French and Spanish units that have been patrolling the region since April. After several months at Šiauliai, Czech Air Force jets will continue their deployment through the summer. Allies have taken turns guarding the skies over Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania since they joined NATO in 2004, as the three countries do not have their own fighter aircraft. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, NATO has further bolstered air patrols in the eastern part of the Alliance, with additional aircraft.
> as the three countries do not have their own fighter aircraft
Holy shit, just imagine the outrage if Germany was the one saving billions by not having their own jets and relying on others for their own sky.
Inb4: Oh but they are so small mimimi. The Baltics have a population of just over 6million, Switzerland has 8.6million. They have 52 combat aircraft and are going to buy 36 F-35A. The Baltics are big enough to field the ~12 jets (+8 in maintenance or training) needed for their own air policing.
Oh but the Swiss are rich! Well Slovakia ha a lower GDP per capita than the Baltics and a lower population and even they have 11 MiG-29 and are buying 14 F-16V from the US.