Hungary to Undertake NATO Baltic Air Policing for Fourth Time

Starting August 1, Hungary will lead NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission for the fourth time, deploying around 80 personnel and four Gripen fighter jets in cooperation with Spain and Italy, announced Lieutenant General Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief of the Hungarian Defense Staff, at the departure ceremony held at the 101st “Szentgyörgyi Dezső” Air Base in Kecskemét (central Hungary).

Kajári emphasized that NATO’s air presence on its eastern flank is not merely a military operation, but a strategic signal, as alliance members share responsibility for each other’s security. Hungarian Gripens not only protect national airspace: as part of its regional commitment, Hungary has safeguarded Slovenia’s airspace for over a decade, and from 2024, will also provide air policing for Slovakia and Croatia, he remarked.

He highlighted that the mission showcases one of the Hungarian Defense Forces’ most modern and reliable capabilities, performing daily in national airspace and now once again proving itself in an international setting.

The core of the contingent is provided by the Kecskemét-based air base, but personnel from Veszprém, Szolnok, and Pápa also play an essential role.

In 2022, the Hungarian contingent was involved in 19 live alerts and 62 training sorties, totaling over 300 flight hours,

he said.

However, preparedness is not only a matter of technology, Kajári emphasized. While the Gripens are fully capable, their effectiveness relies on the pilots, technicians, controllers, logisticians, and liaison officers who ensure the mission’s success every day. He stressed that they form a committed, highly trained, and cohesive team.

He pointed out that

the Baltic Air Policing mission is more than an air force operation: it is a visible and tangible example of allied solidarity.

Hungary is not merely a beneficiary of collective defense but an active contributor, he added.

Colonel Péter Tősér, commander of the mission, said in an interview with the public media that

most of the personnel had already completed at least one mission, and more than half of them had completed two.

The Hungarian Air Force’s Baltic Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Detachment will operate from the Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania.

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania do not have fighter jets of their own, so since joining NATO in 2004, allied nations have ensured the security of their airspace and citizens through a rotational system, with deployments lasting four months.

Hungary previously led the Baltic Air Policing mission from September 2015 to January 2016 (with Germany), from May to August 2019 (with Spain and the UK), and from August to December 2022 (alongside the air forces of the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Belgium, and Italy).

Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Ujvári Sándor