Baltic Air Policing
The Czech Republic assigned five JAS-39C Gripen aircraft (the fifth one serves as a reserve and for training) from the 21st Tactical Air Force Base Čáslav for the protection of airspace over the territory and territorial waters of the Baltic States – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
Czech Armed Forces 3rd Task Force Baltic Air Policing 2019, Estonia
Mandate:
Through its resolution No. 221 dated 11 April 2018, the Government and the Parliament of the Czech Republic authorised the deployment of up to 95 Czech Armed Forces servicemembers to provide air defence coverage to a NATO nation that does not have own supersonic capability.
Operational tour:
- September through December 2019
Location:
- Ämari Air Force Base, Estonia
Commander:
- Lieutenant Colonel Pavel Pavlík
(Deputy Commander of the 21st Tactical Wing, 21st Tactical Air Force Base)
The aircraft operate as part of the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS). In Estonia, the Czech Air Force Gripens in Estonia are under direct operational control of the Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) multinational air operations center in Uedem, Germany.
For the NATO Baltic Air Policing, the aircraft are armed in the same way as for the Quick Reaction Alert system in the Czech Republic, i.e. with missiles and cannon.
The core of the contingent comprises the servicemembers of the 21st Tactical Air Force Base Čáslav.
Historical background:
Flight and ground personnel of the 21st Tactical Air Force Base Čáslav provided air defence coverage to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the form of air policing in 2009 and 2012. The 21 TAFB personnel also served air policing tours on Iceland as part of the ASIC-IPPN mission in 2014, 2015 and 2016.