F-16 Fighter Jets for NATO Air Defence Mission: Belgium has sent six F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets to Lithuania to help NATO protect the airspace of its eastern European members. The aircraft are operating from Šiauliai Air Base and will work alongside other NATO forces already deployed in the Baltic region.
The Belgian Air Force team arrived in early November 2026. Around 100 Belgian military personnel are part of the deployment. Their arrival adds more fighter aircraft to NATO’s growing air defence presence near its eastern borders.
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The Belgian team has joined the Italian Air Force detachment which is currently responsible for the main NATO air defence mission in the Baltic region. Italy began its latest deployment in Lithuania in July 2026 with four Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.
Belgium’s six F-16 Fighting Falcons will provide additional support to these aircraft. The deployment is part of NATO’s efforts to improve its ability to protect the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
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Meanwhile, Türkiye has also deployed its F-16 fighter jets to Ämari Air Base in Estonia. Turkish aircraft took over the air defence duties from Portugal on July 31, 2026. The deployment is scheduled to continue until November 30.
These deployments allow NATO members to share responsibility for protecting the Baltic region. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania depend on other alliance members for fighter aircraft because they don’t have their own combat air forces to independently protect their skies.
NATO Introduces a Stronger Air Defence Mission
The Belgian deployment comes after NATO introduced a wider air defence system in 2026. At the NATO Summit in Ankara in July, member countries agreed to change the existing Baltic Air Policing Mission into a more complete NATO Air Defence Mission.
The new system became active on August 1, 2026. Unlike the earlier mission which mainly focused on watching the skies and responding to aircraft entering allied airspace without permission, the expanded system can deal with a wider range of threats.
These include crewed military aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
The new arrangement also brings fighter aircraft together with ground-based and sea-based defence systems. This allows NATO to use different military resources together when responding to possible threats.
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NATO’s Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) is responsible for coordinating air defence activities across the alliance. It works through Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs), which monitor air activity and help direct military aircraft and other defence systems. The centres coordinate the resources provided by different NATO member countries.
