Greece has turned down a request from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to participate in NATO air patrols over their airspace, citing its existing commitments in the Balkans.
According to local daily Kathimeniri, the Baltic nations had sought the deployment of Greek F-16s to assist in safeguarding their skies. The Baltic Air Policing mission, established in 2004, is a key NATO operation that rotates air forces to protect the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, countries without their own fighter jets.
With increased Russian activity near NATO’s eastern borders, air defense has become a priority in the Baltic region, leading to routine interceptions of Russian aircraft. However, Greek officials stated that their air force is already stretched thin, patrolling the skies of Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, and set to expand duties to include Bulgaria in 2025.
Athens pointed to the strain on the Hellenic Air Force (HAF), which is also responsible for securing Greek airspace and has been engaged in recent military exercises, including NATO’s Ramstein Flag 24.
Greek F-16s regularly patrol Balkan airspace, with Greece sharing responsibility for Bulgaria’s air defense with Italy. The country’s defense resources are also tied up by a Patriot missile battery deployed in Saudi Arabia.
