Greece has declined a request from the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to take part in air patrols over their airspace. The Baltic countries, which lack their own fighter jets, had asked Greece to send F-16s to contribute to the NATO air policing mission, which helps safeguard their skies.
Greek officials have explained this refusal by pointing to their country’s overstretched military resources and existing responsibilities in the Balkans. The Hellenic Air Force (HAF) is already heavily involved in patrolling the airspace of Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, and is preparing to take on similar responsibilities for Bulgaria in 2025. This means that the HAF is currently undertaking patrols every 15 days in the Balkans, a commitment it shares with Italy. Bulgaria itself possesses limited air-defence capabilities, relying on outdated MiG-29 fighter jets until newly purchased F-16s become operational in 2025.
The request from the Baltic nations comes at a time of heightened concern over Russian military activity near NATO’s eastern borders. Tensions with Russia have placed a premium on air defence in the region, leading to frequent interceptions of Russian aircraft in the vicinity of Baltic borders. NATO Air Policing is a peacetime mission that operates as part of the alliance’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence framework. This collective task demands a constant presence – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – of fighter aircraft and crews ready to react promptly to airspace incursions.
While NATO members take turns deploying to airbases in Lithuania and Estonia, the alliance’s air policing efforts in the Baltic region were established after the three countries joined NATO in 2004. A second air policing presence was set up in Estonia in 2014, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, as part of NATO’s efforts to reassure its eastern allies. These air policing missions often see NATO jets scrambled to identify Russian aircraft approaching or flying near NATO airspace without using transponders, communicating with air traffic control, or filing a flight plan. Much of this Russian air activity is attributed to the geographical location of the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, with aircraft frequently flying between there and mainland Russia.
Athens’ decision to decline the Baltic mission underscores the strain on the Greek air force, which is also responsible for maintaining airspace security in the Aegean Sea. Recent international military exercises, such as NATO’s Ramstein Flag ‘24, held in Greece, and the Tarang Shakti drills in India, have placed further demands on the HAF. Beyond these commitments, Greece is also currently unable to meet any further NATO requests for military equipment, as it has a Patriot missile battery deployed in Saudi Arabia. Greek officials have underlined the importance of maintaining sufficient resources to defend their own national airspace in a region marked by growing tensions.
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