Czech Air Force sends five jets to guard Lithuanian air space

Five Jas-39 Gripen jets of the Czech Air Force took off from the airbase in Čáslav to land in Lithuania’s city of Šiauliai on Tuesday where they will be helping to secure Baltic airspace. The Czech pilots will take over this operational task from the Danish Air Force from April 1 until the end of July. The fighter jets will be used to ensure that aircraft are upholding international air traffic rules, the commander of the Čáslav air base, Jaroslav Míka, said.

This is the fourth time that Czech pilots will be guarding the Baltic airspace and the seventh time in total that the Czech Air Force has been deployed to protect NATO member states.