VILNIUS, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Polish Air Force has taken over NATO Baltic skies air-policing mission at the air base in Lithuania on Thursday.
NATO's Air policing mission will be conducted by four F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets operated by the Polish Air Force from the military air base in Zokniai, northern Lithuania.
The Polish Air Force personnel takes the lead of the mission from the Belgian Air Force with four F-16 aircrafts which have been patrolling the Baltic skies for four months, according to the Lithuanian Defense Ministry.
"The NATO Air Policing Mission is not only a proof of allied solidarity. It should also be a part of the air defense mission in order to have stability, stronger deterrence, and swift response to security threats in the region," Lithuanian Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis said on Thursday during the official mission handover ceremony.
According to the announcement from the Lithuanian Defense Ministry, the Polish air-policing mission will be supported by the German Air Force with five Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from Estonia.
