Activation of Spanish DAT “Vilkas” fighter jets in Operation Eastern Sentinel in Poland

• The alert was due to the potential entry of unidentified traces over Polish territory

The aircraft of the Vilkas Air Tactical Detachment assigned to the Eastern Sentry mission took off on an air policing mission (named A Scramble) yesterday at around 6 a.m. in Lithuania.

The activation of the alert, ordered by the Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany, was triggered by the potential entry of unidentified objects into Polish territory, as objects consistent with drones had been detected in the proximity of its border, coming from the east.

Our Air and Space Force aircraft, two Eurofighter (C.16) fighters from Wing 11 and an A400M (TK.23) from Wing 31, completed approximately three hours of flight time and returned to their base in the city of Šiauliai once the threat of incursion into Poland by the detected objects had passed.

In this aerial patrol, the in-flight refuelling capability provided by the TK.23 allows fighter aircraft to remain in the area of operation if necessary.

Once this mission is finished, the head of DAT Vilkas, Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Holgado del Aguila, stated that "the accomplishment of this mission, within the framework of Operation Eastern Sentinel, highlights the preparedness, readiness and responsiveness of the Spanish forces transferred to NATO to guarantee territorial sovereignty on the Alliance's eastern flank. With this objective in mind, Spain will maintain its deployment in Lithuania, putting all our operational capabilities and dedication at the service of our shared security."

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. Since August, this detachment has been operating from the Šiauliai air base in northern Lithuania and will be relieved by a new Spanish contingent at the end of November.

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 ten Eurofighter aircraft from Wing 11 (Morón de la Frontera, Seville) and one A400M refuelling aircraft from Wing 31 (Zaragoza).

During its three months of activation, the Detachment has carried out, in addition to its air policing duties, 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 General Commander of NATO Airborne Early Warning (NAEW) in Germany. It also collaborates on an ongoing basis with the municipality of Šiauliai, from which the detachment's aviators receive constant support, as well as cooperating with local social entities.