Almost daily QRA assignments for Danish F-16 aircraft in Lithuania
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The main reason is Russian aircraft that have not identified themselves, according to the Danish defense.
The four Danish F-16 aircraft are deployed at the Siauliai air base in northern Lithuania as part of “Baltic Air Policing”, from September to December.
The first month has been hectic, the Danish defense states websites. Almost daily, the Danish planes have moved out in “Quick Reaction Alert” missions (QRA) to meet planes that have not identified themselves.
– Most times we move out to control Russian planes that fly through international airspace. If they do not use electronic equipment to share their position, then our presence that air surveillance units can see the overall activity and deal with it, says the leader of the Danish contribution, which goes by the nickname «Nie».
Although Danish reports high activity across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, no more QRA assignments have been reported in Norway recently. This is what the spokesperson for the Armed Forces ‘operational headquarters, Major Elisabeth Eikeland, says to the Armed Forces’ forum.
So far in 2021, 32 “scrambles” have been registered, ie rapid mobilizations, and 48 identifications, Eikeland states.
Unless the number rises sharply before the end of the year, and it will thus not be possible to exceed that which was reported last year. At that time, 50 scrambles and 96 identifications were registered, according to the Armed Forces ‘statistics, which the Armed Forces’ forum has gained access to.