On August 3, 2024, NATO’s Combined Air Operation Centre at Uedem scrambled two Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon in response to potential threats from Russian military aircraft.
The Italian jets were immediately dispatched from Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania, to track and escort the aircraft. The Italian’s identified two Russian MIG-29s flying over the international waters in the Baltic Sea, close to Alliance territory. Italian Eurofighters escorted the Russian Aircraft demonstrating the high state of readiness and proficiency of the Italian detachment (the image above is from a similar scramble conducted in July by Luftwaffe aircraft. Unfortunately, the Italian Air Force rarely releases images of their own scrambles).
Under NATO’s Air Policing mission, an Alpha Scramble is triggered when an aircraft is flying an invalid or incorrect flight plan; fails to or loses communication with the relevant air traffic control authority; or fails to communicate with the air traffic control authorities using the transponder, an electronic device that emits a four-digit signal called a “squawk code”.
This is the first Alpha Scramble for the Italian Air Force since commencing their four-month NATO Baltic Air Policing deployment from Šiauliai, assuming air policing responsibilities from the Portuguese and Spanish Air Forces.
Baltic Air Policing is a peacetime NATO defensive mission started in April 2004. To date, 17 Allies have participated in safeguarding Allied airspace over the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Apart from showing the Alliance’s unique ability to share and pool existing air capabilities, the mission also aims to demonstrate NATO’s collective determination to maintain a strong, cohesive, and defensive posture to deter potential threats or unsafe situations in the vicinity of its airspace.
(via nato.int)