UK in NATO: Policing the skies to protect our allies
Most members of NATO have their own air forces to protect their airspace. However, some countries don’t, therefore they hold agreements with their allies to support them. This is known as air policing.
Members of NATO take turns in helping support their allies such as Albania, Luxembourg, Iceland, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
For the past decade, as well as keeping UK airspace safe, RAF jets have deployed on air policing missions across Europe. Most recently in Romania as part of Operation Biloxi. The RAF have also supported the Baltic Air Policing effort based in Estonia.
The Royal Air Force take a leading role policing the skies of our NATO allies to keep their airspace safe. When our allies are safer, we are safer.
How does air policing work?
As well as regular patrols and training, military jets may be scrambled to react to the following; if an aircraft sends out a distress signal, or if military or civilian aircraft do not follow international flight regulations. Aircraft must identify themselves to local air traffic control, stay in contact with them, and are not allowed to enter allied airspace. If they don’t, military jets may be scrambled.
Air Policing: two essential parts:
- Surveying and examining airspace from the ground, with specialist air surveillance equipment.
- Deploying a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) jet to resolve a threat in NATO airspace.
Later this year, the RAF will return to Estonia as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission.
The RAF will also conduct NATO Air Policing in Iceland for the first time this year. Four Typhoons will return to Estonia, deployed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu airport supporting security in the South and the Black Sea region.
The UK Armed Forces are deployed around the globe on duty 24/7 keeping the peace, preventing conflict, tackling terrorism and above all, keeping Britain safe.
