ERR: last year, NATO reacted to Russian aircraft more than 100 times
The capabilities of the Russian Air Force on the border with NATO member countries have not decreased, despite the conflict in Ukraine, Lieutenant Colonel Sven Jakob, who participates in NATO missions in Estonia, told ERR. His troops react to Russian aircraft 20-30 times during the rotation, and this number has not changed over the years.
The NATO Air Security Mission in the Baltic States turns 20 years old this year. Germany is one of the countries that have made a significant contribution to this mission. ERR talked about the importance of the mission to protect air safety with Lieutenant Colonel Sven Jakob of the German Air Force.
The NATO mission to patrol the airspace of the Baltic States has been conducted since 2004 from the Shauliai air base in Lithuania, and since 2014 also from the Emari base in Estonia. Over the past 20 years, 17 countries have contributed to ensuring air safety in the Baltic States. NATO emphasizes that the mission is purely defensive in nature.
The other day, Lieutenant Colonel Sven Jakob embarked on an air safety mission in Latvia. Previously, he participated in the mission four times — three times in Estonia and once in Romania. Latvia will take over the maintenance of the NATO mission, as the modernization of the airfield begins at the Emari air base this year.
"I wouldn't say it's a fun mission. This is an incorrect description, but it is an interesting mission," Jacob told the ERR portal. During the telephone interview, he was at the Lielvard air base in Latvia.
NATO allies protect the airspace of the Baltic States, since Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania themselves do not have the opportunity to do so.
The main task of the allies is to detect Russian aircraft violating NATO airspace.
Germany participated in the mission more than 12 times. Thus, Germany is one of the countries that have made a significant contribution to this mission. Usually, four aircraft plus one spare take part in the rotation. The team consists of about 150-200 people.
"We have the opportunity to show that Germany is part of NATO, so the country is contributing to this mission," Jakob said.
He added that pilots gain a lot of experience while participating in the mission. "Pilots see different Russian aircraft and their systems. Of course, the mission also develops the pilots' flying skills," said Jacob.
"There is a fine line between demonstrating readiness and capabilities and exacerbating the situation. This is a good training ground for all pilots," he added.
Russia's behavior has not changed, but it can still surprise
According to Jacob, the German Air Force has to react to Russian aircraft on average 20-30 times during the rotation. Surprisingly, this number has not changed over the years. "In winter, this figure is lower, in summer it is higher, but this is an average figure," Jacob said.
He also noted that in recent years, the types of aircraft flying between the interior of Russia and the Kaliningrad exclave have changed.
"The Russians can still surprise us," Jacob said. He added that it is difficult to determine whether violations are committed when flying over international waters intentionally or accidentally.
"They have to follow a number of rules. Sometimes they follow all the rules, sometimes they don't. We don't know if this is a technical problem or a deliberate violation. Sometimes they use a transponder and communicate with the command center, sometimes they don't. In this case, we are called to accompany them," said Jacob.
Jakob expressed gratitude to the Estonians for their support
Jakob expressed his gratitude to the Estonians, noting that they always provide sufficient support.
According to him, it does not matter in which Baltic country the contingent is stationed, since the mission remains unchanged. "The support and attitude in the Baltic States is always good," he stressed.
When the German Air Force is not involved in responding to an alarm, the team focuses on training flights. On average, they fly twice a day, six days a week.
On free days, the team gets to know the surroundings or visits Tallinn. "This is part of the mission so that we are not isolated," Jacob said.
According to him, the mission to protect air security sends a clear signal about the unity of NATO.
According to the Estonian Air Force, last year was the first year since 2014 when Russian military aircraft did not violate the air border with Estonia.
Nevertheless, NATO has responded to Russian aircraft more than 100 times.
According to experts, this does not indicate that the capabilities of the Russian Air Force have decreased due to the conflict in Ukraine.
