Rafale and Typhoons Deployed For Baltic Air Policing

A Royal Air Force Typhoon taking off from RAF Coningsby [Picture: Senior Aircraftman Chris Ellis, Crown copyright] Britain and Franc...

A Royal Air Force Typhoon taking off from RAF Coningsby [Picture: Senior Aircraftman Chris Ellis, Crown copyright]

Britain and France deployed fighter jets on Monday to take part in the NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

Britian deployed four Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Lithuania and France deployed four Dassault Rafale jets to Malbork in northern Poland.

The deployment forms part of a series of measures taken by NATO to support and reassure its allies in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states.
French defense ministry said, Rafale will conduct training along Polish air force and stand ready for air patrols over the Baltic.

The Typhoons will also conduct practice scrambles and training flights.

In wake of the tensions in the region, the new cycle of four month BAP mission starting on 1 May 2014, will feature a increased twelve fighters from the usual four. Poland will provide four MiG-29 aircrafts along with the four RAF Typhoons, operating from Šiauliai, Lithuania. Denmark will provide an additional four F-16 aircrafts which will operate from Estonia.