08:36 GMT, August 31, 2009 Air contingents of the allies deployed on the Baltic Air-policing mission will rotate in Lithuanian Air Force Aviation Base (Šiauliai) on August 31. After four months of duty Czech Air Contingent with four JAS-39 „Gripen" jets will be replaced by German troops. For the two first months Baltic airspace will be guarded with four fourth-generation „Eurofighter" jets to be deployed beyond Germany's territory in a multinational mission for the first time. Later F-4F „Phantom" will take their place.

Security for Baltic airspace will be provided by Germany for the third time. Germans conducted the mission on July-September 2005 and July-August 2008, with F-4F „Phantom" jets both times. The third shift of German Air Contingent will include 130 soldiers, mostly members of Fighter Wing 74 of German Air Force (deployed in Neuburg on the Danube). Troops in the Contingent will rotate every two to three weeks and commander - every six weeks. The first shift will be led by Lt. Col. Marc Gruene.

Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas, Commander Lithuanian Air Force Brig. Gen. Art?ras Leita, acting Head of LAF Aviation Base Lt. Col. Virginijus Steponavi?ius Deputy Defence Minister of the Czech Republic Jan Fulík, Deputy Chief of Staff of Czech Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Ji?í Halaška and Commander Czech Air Force Brig. Gen. Ji?í Verner, Undersecretary of Defence Ministry of Estonia Riho Terras, and Commander Estonian Air Force Brig. Gen. Valeri Saar, State Secretary of Defence Ministry of Latvia J?nis S?rts, and Commander Latvian Air Force Lt. Col. Aleksandrs Stepanovs, State Secretary of Defence Ministry of Germany Rüdiger Wolf and Commander German Air Force Lt. Gen. Klaus-Peter Stieglitz, Czech and German Defence Attaches accredited in Lithuania, and other guests are expected to attend changeover ceremony held in the Aviation Base.

Since 2004 when NATO members began sending their air assets and crews to the Baltic Air-policing mission, Belgian, Danish, British, Norwegian, Dutch, German, American, and Polish contingents ensured security of airspace above the Baltic States for three months each. Since spring 2006 Turkish, Spanish, Belgian, and French troops were deployed on the mission for four-month rotation cycle, Romanian Air Contingent were in charge of the mission for three months, Portuguese Air Contingent - for a month and a half, troops of Norway, Poland, Germany and the USA - for three months, Danes and the currently leaving Czechs - for four months, the shift period also to be taken up by Germans.


PROGRAMME
of the Rotation ceremony of Air Contingents deployed on NATO Baltic Air-policing mission, August 31, Aviation Base

• 10.00 State delegations of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Germany arrive at the Aviation Base.

• 10.15-10.35 Changeover ceremony (speeches of representatives of delegations, exchange of souvenirs, handing over of symbolic key to the Baltic airspace to Command ero fthe German Air Contingent).

• 10.40-11.00 Departure for the Aviation Base QRA mission area.

• 11.00-11.15 Time for observing Czech Air Force JAS-39C „Gripen" and German Air Force jets „Eurofighter".

• 11.15-11.30 Scramble of two JAS-39C „Gripen" and two „Eurofighter").

• 11.30-11.40 Press opportunity with members of delegations and both Air Contingents.