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Armament specialists from the Canadian Air Task Force (ATF) Lithuania loaded-up the CF-188 Hornet fighter jets with armaments at Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania for their four-month NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission starting September 2014.
“Thanks to our maintainers and other ground support personnel for their hard work and dedication in ensuring that Canadian fighter jets are ready to launch any moment,” said Lieutenant-Colonel (LCol) David Pletz, Commander of ATF Lithuania.
ATF Lithuania is the air component of Operation REASSURANCE, which is Canada’s contribution to NATO’s commitment to promoting security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe.
While deployed in Lithuania, the CF-188 Hornets will be working with the F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Portuguese Air Force in responding to any violations of the integrity and sovereignty of NATO airspace in the region.
“Our air policing mission is purely defensive,” said LCol Pletz. “Our task is a fundamental component of how NATO provides security to allied members.”
ATF maintainers and other ground personnel are vigilant in providing 24/7 essential support needed by the aircrew to be able to rapidly respond to critical air incidents.
“The weapons payload of the Hornets meet the requirements of the mission at hand which is to intercept and identify unknown or unlawful airborne objects within or approaching our area of responsibility,” said LCol Pletz. “This modernized multi-role fighter is Canada’s frontline for air defence and air superiority. Because of its superior power, the Hornet has had outstanding success in various missions at home and abroad.”
The CF-188 Hornet fleet was first deployed outside Canada during the first Gulf War to support the American-led Desert Shield and Desert Storm operations. It had also been deployed to Italy to participate in the Kosovo campaign in 1999.
Most recently, the CF-188 Hornets played a vital role during Operation MOBILE as part of the NATO-led effort to enforce an arms embargo and no-fly zone to protect civilians in Libya in support of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973.
In Canada, the CF-188 Hornet fleet remains committed to protecting North American airspace. It maintains a constant state of alert, always ready to respond immediately to potential threats to continental security.
