The Vilkas detachment completes its second month of NATO activation in the Baltic

• Since the start of its deployment, sh has carried out 14 air policing missions, 23 training missions, 3 deterrence missions and 13 force integration missions

The Vilkas Air Tactical Detachment (DAT) of the Air and Space Force (EA) has completed its second month of NATO air policing reinforcement mission in the Baltic, from the Siauliai air base in Lithuania.

Since their activation, the eight Eurofighter aircraft (C.16 in their military designation) deployed at DAT Vilkas have completed numerous missions, including fourteen air policing missions (A-Scramble). Twelve of these were prompted by the presence of unidentified aircraft over the Baltic Sea, while the other two were triggered by unidentified aircraft whose flight profile was compatible with that of drones.

On the other hand, during these two months, twenty-three police training missions (T-Scramble), three deterrence missions and thirteen force integration missions have also been carried out.

For its part, the Airbus A400M tanker aircraft (TK.23), which is also part of this deployment, has completed forty-five in-flight refuelling missions, both for aircraft from the Vilkas detachment itself and for other allied aircraft with which joint missions are carried out.

In addition to these air operations, DAT Vilkas personnel have participated in force integration exercises such as “Furious Wolf” and “Ramstein Alloy”. The latter is a NATO exercise aimed at improving interoperability and cohesion between the air forces of member countries in the Baltic Air Policing mission, as well as preserving the integrity of that airspace, in which fighter aircraft, tanker aircraft and air traffic controllers operate jointly.

During these first two months, in addition to its air policing duties, the detachment has carried out other tasks in the field of institutional representation. Among others, visits have been received from the Ministers of Defence of Spain and Lithuania; the Spanish Ambassador to Lithuania; the Canadian Ambassador to Lithuania; and the Brigadier General, Commander of NATO Airborne Early Warning (NAEW) in Germany. The detachment also collaborates with the municipality of Siauliai, from which the airmen receive constant support.

Most of the airmen who make up the air contingent arrived at the Siauliai air base at the end of July, along with the eight Eurofighter aircraft belonging to Wing 11, based in Morón. Two weeks later, this deployment was reinforced with the addition of TK.23, from Wing 31 in Zaragoza, which has enabled the Spanish fighter jets to increase their presence.

DAT Vilkas, which took over from a squadron of F-16s from the Romanian Air Force, represents the ninth participation of the Air and Space Force in the enhanced Air Policing (eAP) mission, which is one of the components of Operation Persistent Effort. This operation is part of the decisions agreed by NATO at its 2014 summit, with the aim of collectively defending the common and allied space against any threat.

DAT Vilkas: Spain's contribution to air protection on the eastern flank

DAT Vilkas, which means “wolf” in Lithuanian, is an air tactical detachment of the Air and Space Force that contributes to enhanced air policing tasks on NATO's eastern flank. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Holgado del Aguila, it will operate between August and November 2025 from the Siauliai air base in northern Lithuania.

In terms of its composition, it is made up of almost 200 military aviators from up to 15 different units of the Air and Space Force, and has eight Eurofighter aircraft from the 11th Wing (Morón de la Frontera, Seville) and an A400M refueling aircraft from the 31st Wing (Zaragoza).