NATO's BALTIC AIR POLICING (BAP)

Spain, as an active and committed member of the Alliance, regularly participates in it. Although it was the focus of public interest as a result of the crisis in Ukraine in 2014, its participation has been developing continuously since 2004.

Spain contributes with several fighter planes, and the entire contingent is known as "Vilkas Detachment".

In addition to air assets, the Spanish Air Force deploys around 150 airmen within the contingent, which makes all the maintenance, logistic, surveillance and control tasks of the Detachment possible.

Depending on the unit deployed, Spain contributes to the security of the Baltic countries with F-18 and Eurofighter "Typhoon" aircraft. Spain usually takes part in the deployment between April and September.

The Baltic Air-Policing mission (BAP) is part of the Alliance´s collective effort in monitoring the airspace of its members, particularly those of the three Baltic republics, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The allied deployment in North Eastern Europe is developed under the NATO mandate within the framework of allied collective defence.

In June 2015, the Supreme Allied Headquarters for Europe (SHAPE) asked Spain to participate on the Baltic strengthening operation.

The NATO Air-Policing mission in the Baltic began in 2004 following the admission of the Baltic States into NATO. This implied the extension of the allied airspace in north eastern Europe, bordering Russia. Since Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania lack a combat air force that will allow them to fulfil the surveillance and control tasks over their territory as well as Quick Reaction Alert missions or scramble. For this reason, they need support from the rest of Allied countries.

Following the start of the Ukrainian crisis at the beginning of 2014 and the increasing entrance of Russian planes into Baltic airspace, the mission has been reinforced with more planes in each of the three countries and two additional deployment bases: Amari, in Estonia, and Malbork, in Poland.

The Spanish Air Force took part in the Baltic Air-Policing mission for the very first time in 2006 with four 14th Wing Mirage F-1 deployed in Siauliai.

In e-AP(59) Spain deployed:

• 8 F-18 fighter jets belonging to the 12th Wing.
• 130 Air Force military personnel. Currently,

In e-AP(60) Spain deployed in Estonia together with the German Air Force:

• 4 C-16 fighter aircraft (Eurofighters) belonging to the 14th Wing.
• 70 Air Force military personnel.

2023 

• September 15. Airbus A 400 M aircraft ends its deployment.
• August 1. New activation of the DAT 'Ambar'  with 8 C-16 Eurofighter aircraft from the 11th Wing (Seville) and 1 Airbus A 400 M aircraft from the 31st Wing (Zaragoza).

2022

• September 13. Detachment 'Ambar' ends its deployment within NATO's BAP.
• August 26. Spain joins the BAP e-AP 60 in Estonia with 4 C-16 Eurofighter aircraft from the 14th Wing in collaboration with the German Air Force( in DAT 'Ámbar').
• August 1. Spain transfers mission command to Hungary.
• April 1. Eight EF-18 aircraf and 130 airmen from the Spanish Air Force make up the 'Vilkas' detachment 2022.

2021

• August 31. Destachment 'Vilkas' ends its deployment within NATO's BAP.
• July 8. Spain's Prime Minister visits Detachment 'Vilkas' in Lithuania. 
• June 11. ESP CHOD visits Spanish troops at Detachment 'Vilkas' in Lithuania. 
• May 19.  Spain's Ambassador to Latvia visits Detachment 'Vilkas' 2021. 
• May 1. Spain takes the lead within NATO's Baltic Air Policing. 

2020

• September 1. "Destachment Vilkas" ends its deployment.
• July 2. Spanish crews take over after two months deployed in Lithuania.
• April 30. Six EF-18 and 130 airmen from the Spanish Air Force made up Detachment 'Vilkas 2020', taking Mission's command for the third time.

2019

• August 31. Completion of the “Vilkas19” detachment deployment at Lithuania.
• May 2. Spanish “Vilkas19” detachment in Lithuania, as part of the Baltic Air Policing (BAP), together with its fighter aircrafts EF18 from Wing 12, begin his rapid response mission from the Siauliai Air Base till August 31, 2019.

2018

• September 1: Completion of the deployment of six Eurofighters from Wing 11.
• May 1: The Spanish Vilkas detachment, together with six Eurofighters from Wing 11, operates from the Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania.
• April 25. Six Eurofighter planes from Wing 11 took off Morón Air Base to take part in the Baltic Air Police Mission in Lithuania. Wing 11 and its Eurofighters take part for a second time in a BAP mission. This time, deployment will last until the end of August.

2017

• September 6. Completion of the deployment of five aircrafts from Wing 15.
• May 3: The Spanish Ámbar detachment, with five aircrafts EF-18 from Wing 15, operates from the Ämari Air Base in Estonia.

2016

•  May 4. Completion of the deployment of four aircrafts from Wing 14.
• January 4. Four Eurofighters from Wing 14 arrive to Vilkas detachment.
• January 1. Spain leads the mission until May. Vilkas detachment conducts the operation from Lithuania.

2015

• May 4. Completion of the deployment of four Spanish Eurofighters.
• January 19. First interception of a Russian military aircraft by a Spanish fighter aircraft
• January 1. Ámbar detachment begins operation.

2014

• December 29. Four Spanish Eurofighter arrive to the Amari Base.
• June 3. The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe requests Spain to take part in the support of the operation.
• March. Beginning of the crisis in Ukraine. The operation to strengthen the air space of Baltic countries starts with the additional deployment of four other fighter aircrafts F-15C Eagle from the United States.

2006

• November 30. Completion of the deployment of four Spanish aircrafts Mirage F-1.
• August 1. Four Spanish fighter aircrafts F-1 from Wing 14 are deployed.

2004

• March 30. The Operation with four multirole fighters from Belgium begins.
• March 29. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania join the Atlantic Alliance.