Spanish Ambassador to Lithuania visits Detachment Vilkas 2021

• José María Robles pays an official visit to the facilities of the air detachment at the Šiauliai AFB and checks first hand readiness and training of Spanish airmen
  

The Spanish ambassador to Lithuania, José María Robles Fraga, visited Detachment Vilkas in Lithuania, where he verified the important role that our Armed Forces play in the Baltic Air Policing operation.

After the official welcoming ceremony, the ambassador, accompanied by Embassy staff and the acting commander of the Šiauliai Air Base, Major Jonas Zemaitis, he was briefed by Lieutenant Colonel Bayardo Abós Álvarez-Buiza, Commander of the Force in which he learnt some details of the mission in which Spain participates within the Alliance, as a leading nation.

Then the delegation toured the different facilities of the detachment (communications and information technology, intelligence, operations, economic department, secretariat, support, public information, health and maintenance) and the ambassador got on board of an Eurofighter in “QRA” (Quick Reaction Alert), which carry out the missions of identification and interception of aircraft that may put air navigation in the Baltic space at risk

Since last April 30, Spain has been leading the rapid reaction alert mission integrated into the Baltic Air Policing (BAP), with Eurofighters from 14^th AF Wing and 130 troops from different units in Spain. This is the eighth Spanish participation in the operation.