France, Spain and the UK have taken over the NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission until August 2020.
Beginning on 1 May, the three NATO allies replaced detachments from Belgium and Poland which were previously charged with protecting airspace over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. British and Spanish aircraft will operate out of Siauliai AFB in Lithuania whilst the French detachment will be based in Amari, Estonia.
Oana Lungescu, a spokesperson at NATO, said: ‘This 24/7 mission demonstrates that our commitment to the security of our Allies is rock-solid and that our vital work goes on despite the coronavirus pandemic.’
BAP missions have been conducted since 2004 and have become strengthened since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Russian aircraft are regularly intercepted with BAP aircraft being scrambled more than 200 times during 2019 alone.
The initial document focused more on creating the right partnerships and inspiring investment in defence than on any details of how future UK Armed Forces would be armed.
The first stage of developing a new UK Defence Industrial Strategy has highlighted failings in current structures with solutions expected to be proposed in next year’s full strategy.
Romania joined NATO more than two decades ago and the country is vital to the alliance’s geographic reach and its ability to supply Ukraine with weapons.
Although Trump’s geopolitics policy for Europe remains unclear, defence analysts from the US and Europe predict how his incoming administration would attempt to handle critical issues on the continent.
The UK budget announced in Parliament on 30 October was the first by a Labour government in 14 years which has also launched a review into defence procurement programmes.
The Australian government has placed a focus on Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) which has included the purchase of additional long-range rocket systems and investments in local production of missiles.
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