US Air Force boosts Baltic air policing amid Ukraine-Russia faceoff

The United States Air Force has deployed its F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing to bolster NATO's Baltic air policing mission. The fighter jets from the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina landed at the Amari Air Base in Estonia.

According to NATO, the Baltic air policing is a regular, peacetime mission that seeks to ensure safe airspace over and near the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Considering that the three nations do not have adequate air policing capability, NATO allies cover their airspace on a rotating basis.

NATO air policing missions, which ensure no suspicious or unauthorized flights over NATO airspace, assume significance as the conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues to develop. The increased number of air policing figures comes on the sidelines of US President Joe Biden announcing that he will be sending an additional 8,500 soldiers to the region in view of the volatile situation in the area. The 8,500 troops will support NATO's 40,000-strong response force in dealing with any acts of aggression against the member states.