Usaf jets to patrol the Baltic States next month

U.S. warplanes to patrol Baltic airspace from October
17:03 | 10/ 09/ 2008


RIGA, September 10 (RIA Novosti) - The U.S. Air Force will patrol the
airspace over the Baltic states from October, the Latvian Defense
Ministry said on Wednesday.

A group of U.S. F-16 fighter jets will replace the current German planes
on a rotation basis.

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia reached an agreement with NATO on the
lease of fighters to patrol their airspace in 2004. Patrols have since
been conducted by Belgian, Spanish, Norwegian, German and Danish aircraft.

The patrols cost the Latvian taxpayers $4 million a year.

The Baltic States have virtually no fighter planes. They said earlier
that they would be unable to acquire their own fighter planes before 2018.

The Baltic skies are presently secured by the so-called NATO air police,
which in addition to fighter planes also provide air defense systems and
manpower.