ŠIAULIAI (LITHUANIA). NATO will temporarily deploy Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance aircraft in Šiauliai, Lithuania.
The first of the two aircraft will arrive today and fly missions to monitor Russian military activities near the Alliance’s borders.
“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has increased our focus on the security environment in the Baltic Sea region,” said NATO Acting Spokesperson Dylan White. “Our AWACS are capable of detecting aircraft and missiles hundreds of kilometres away, making them a critical early warning capability for NATO. I thank Lithuania for hosting the aircraft. It is an important contribution to our shared security’.
In response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, NATO has increased its air presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, using fighter jets, surveillance aircraft and air tankers.

AWACS surveillance jets deployed in Lithuania
Following Russian drone attacks near NATO territory, the US sent four more F-16 fighter jets to Romania last week to reinforce NATO’s air policing mission.
Since February 2022, NATO AWACS have made hundreds of flights over Eastern Europe to monitor Russian warplanes.
The AWACS will begin their reconnaissance flights over Alliance territory in the coming days.
The mission will last several weeks. The aircraft are part of a fleet of 14 NATO-owned surveillance aircraft based in Geilenkirchen, Germany. Approximately one hundred and fifty military personnel will deploy to Šiauliai in support of the aircraft.
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