RAMSTEIN (Germany). NATO’s Air Policing mission stands as a cornerstone of the Alliance’s commitment to maintaining the integrity and security of NATO airspace. This collective defence initiative ensures that even member countries without their own air defence capabilities are protected under NATO’s unified command.
Allied nations contribute to Air Policing along NATO’s eastern flank. Italy and France are currently deployed in Lithuania, the Netherlands in Estonia, and Spain in Romania. These deployments maintain a continuous 24/7 Air Policing presence within the Supreme Allied Commander Europe’s (SACEUR’s) area of responsibility.
Italian contribution: a decade of commitment in the Baltic Skies
Deployed at Šiauliai airport in Lithuania since August 2024, Italy’s Task Force Air 36th Wing, equipped with Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, have been a committed contributor to NATO’s Air Policing mission. Achieving a milestone of 1,300 operational flight hours, the unit has completed over 40 “Alpha Scrambles,” intercepting more than 60 unidentified aircraft.
During a joint exercise event, and for the first time in the Baltics, Italy deployed a SAMP-T Task Group from the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Command (COMACA) at the Šiauliai base, under the direct control of Task Force Air (TFA) 36th Wing, 2025 marks a monumental 10-year milestone for Italy; completing their first Baltic Air Policing mission in 2015, when deployed with four Eurofighter Typhoons from Lithuania. They have continued to support the Baltic Air Policing with a further nine rotations, from Air bases in Lithuania, Estonia and Poland.
A decade of commitment and dedication has ensured the safety of the Baltic skies within the NATO context. Italian jets have also supported Air Policing from Malbork, Poland, initially with F-35s and later with the Eurofighter. Colonel Roberto Massarotto, Task Force Wing Commander, emphasized: “Air Policing is an extremely delicate mission that is conducted by responding to 100% of activations without critical issues thanks to the professionalism and competence not only of our pilots, but of all the women and men of the Task Force”.
The air bases in Šiauliai, Lithuania, Ämari, Estonia and Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu, play a key strategic role in NATO’s Air Policing, these highly sophisticated hubs where Allies combine their high-end capabilities under the Integrated Air and Missile Defence System.
With the posture of Italian, French, Dutch, and Spanish fighter jets, NATO has a robust air capability in place that sends a clear signal to potential adversaries of the Allies’ collective readiness and commitment to preserving territorial integrity.
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