Poles Over the Baltic

Since the start of January, Polish pilots have been patrolling the air space of the three Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Poland is yet another NATO country to be monitoring the airspace over the Baltic states-admitted to NATO in March 2004-as part of the Air Policing mission. None of these countries has combat aircraft of its own, and in keeping with Alliance standards, other NATO members are responsible for the security of the Baltic skies using their own aircraft.

Poland has deployed four MiG-29 fighter planes (see photo) to perform this mission, with six pilots and several dozen officers and soldiers. The Polish troops are stationed in the Zokniai base near the city of Siauliai, Lithuania. Patrolling the skies over the Baltic states is a 24-hour routine for seven days a week, and two of the Polish air force's four MiGs are always in combat readiness.

"We are the first former Warsaw Pact country to be 'on duty' during this mission," said Gen. Stanis³aw Targosz, commander of the Polish Air Force. He added that thanks to the mission Polish pilots would obtain new experience. "We will know how to organize and conduct such missions abroad," said Targosz.

The Lithuanians welcomed Poland's readiness to join the NATO mission. Most Lithuanian politicians have highly rated Poland's decision. In their opinion, with this decision, the Polish-Lithuanian strategic partnership has taken on a new concrete dimension. Deputy Vaclovas Stankevicius, chairman of the NATO Committee in the Lithuanian parliament, stressed this particular aspect. "The fact that the Poles have agreed to send their pilots to perform the mission in the Baltic states is very important to us-Lithuania will never forget that," he said.

Stankevicius was seconded by Ceslovas Okincicas, foreign policy adviser to Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus. "The mission of the Polish pilots began in a solemn atmosphere," he said. "We accept this mission as a gesture of goodwill from Poland, a NATO member, and hope that Polish pilots, with their grand traditions, will steadfastly defend our borders," he said.

The start of the Polish mission in the Baltic states provided an opportunity to remind Lithuanians about Poland's support for Lithuania's NATO aspirations. "The Lithuanian road to NATO led through Warsaw," Stankevicius commented. Before the start of the Polish mission, many observers of Russia's relations with former Warsaw Pact countries as well as former Soviet republics warned that the Polish mission might encourage Russia to start a series of provocations aimed against Poles stationed in Lithuania.

The Lithuanian media also used took the opportunity to refer to the numerous violations of the Baltic air space by Russian military aircraft over the past few months. These included the crash of a Russian SU-32 fighter plane after straying in the Lithuanian airspace for more than 10 minutes a few months ago. Experts on security in the region agree that the Russians, by deliberately violating the Baltic airspace, are testing the organization of these national air forces and the efficiency of NATO's Air Policing mission.

For the time being, the mission of the Polish pilots has been free from disturbances and provocation. "The mission has been developing very successfully," said Stankevicius. "We are satisfied with the way the Polish soldiers are carrying it out." Asked about the eventuality of Russian provocation, he said, "I don't think there will be any. Both Lithuania and Poland are interested in good relations with Russia. That's why I don't think the Russians will decide to stage any provocation. Actually, my impression is that the Russians are not interested in such provocations at all."

Okincicas subscribed to this point of view. "In my opinion, Russia is uninterested in bad relations with Poland," he said. "I'm very happy that the new president of Poland has stressed so vocally that Poland is also interested in good relations with Russia. I believe that contacts between the presidents of both countries must intensify in this situation." Okincicas said the development of Russian-Polish relations should be expanded to include economic issues. "There is a great opportunity to improve these relations," he said. "Russia has had high economic growth and is interested in good relations with its neighbors, and Poland is a large market. Moreover, Poles are active participants of business processes across Europe and worldwide. I can see mutual benefits in good Polish-Russian contacts."

Lithuanian politicians and commentators agree that missions based on patrolling the Baltic air space by NATO member country air forces are of great significance to the fledging Baltic democracies. "We wanted such a mission to be conducted as part of the Alliance," Stankevicius said. "From our perspective, this was very important. We took a long time persuading NATO to stage the mission. Of course, we did not think that someone would suddenly decide to bomb Lithuania and that's why we needed the presence of NATO aircraft, but we have believed all along that from a political point of view that mission was and remains needed."

Polish pilots from the 1st Tactical Air Squadron will perform the mission until March 31. Its total costs, put at zl.16 million, will be covered by the Polish Ministry of Defense. The Poles are the eighth contingent to take part in Air Policing. They have relieved American pilots from the 23rd U.S. Air Force Squadron. Earlier, Germans, Brits, Danes and Norwegians, among other nations, were on duty in the Baltic states.

"Asked about the eventuality of Russian provocation, he said, "I don't think there will be any. Both Lithuania and Poland are interested in good relations with Russia. That's why I don't think the Russians will decide to stage any provocation. Actually, my impression is that the Russians are not interested in such provocations at all."

He's a politician.

We'll live, we'll see.

But I hope his statement will turn out to be right.

"These included the crash of a Russian SU-32 fighter plane"

The author means an Su-27 fighter plane. Journalists should research their facts before they publish an article.

I think economic relations between Poland, Russia, and Lithuania would be excellent. Plane crashes and airspace violations are silly.

(That said a freind of mine's brother is an airforce pilot and he says 'accidental' violations of airspace are usually anything but accidental, and extremely common)

The pilot was flying an approved route to Kalingrad, and lost his electronics and direction. Finally, the only thing left for him to do was to bail out and let the plane crash.

"We accept this mission as a gesture of goodwill from Poland, a NATO member, and hope that Polish pilots, with their grand traditions, will steadfastly defend our borders," he said.

With a little luck, this just MAY cause the Norwegians to rethink their invasion plans.

I still don't doubt that the US violates airspace reguraly :)

(I rather hope we do)

With a little luck, this just MAY cause the Norwegians to rethink their invasion plans.

Norway is a peaceful nation, you idiot.
It's the Finns and the Swedes that they have to worry about.

The author means an Su-27 fighter plane.

Yes, it looks like the 32 is an export variant, so it would be less likely to be used by the Russians themselves.

"Su-32FN is the two-seat multi-role reconnaissance and strike export version of the Su-34 fighter-bomber."

"Su-34 (Su-27IB - Istrebitel-Bombardirovshchik) is a two seat ("arm-to-arm") strike variant that first flew in 1990."

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