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NATO to hold air force exercise in Baltic skies

Xinhua, April 21, 2017 Adjust font size:

NATO allies will hold air force drill, Ramstein alloy, in the Baltic airspace next week, Lithuanian defense ministry announced on Friday.

The fourth edition of the air exercise is to be held on April 25 and 26, and will take place mainly over Lithuania, a small Baltic country and NATO member with a population of less than 3 million.

The exercise is to train the aircraft conducting Baltic air policing missions and enhance interoperability among allied air forces. The allies will train intercepting flights, refueling, search and rescue operations, diversions, the ministry said in a statement.

"Fighter jets from both Baltic air policing detachments, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Norway as well as a transport aircraft from Lithuania, a U.S. tanker and NATO AWACS aircraft will be involved in this live flying training event," said the statement.

The name of the exercise comes from the NATO allied air command, a top body of all NATO air forces which is based in Ramstein air base in Germany.

Zokniai in Northern Lithuania serves as an air base for NATO air policing missions in the Baltic skies.

Lithuania doesn't have its own air policing assets and has been assisted by rotating missions of allied air forces since 2004. Endit