"ŠIAULIAI AIR BASE, Lithuania - The fighter pilots quickly grabbed their gear and stormed out the door of the small command building as alarm bells wailed from a loudspeaker. The countdown had started. The Spanish pilots and the support crew piled into two vans, which swiftly shuttled them down snow-covered roads to the hangars. The powerful EF-18 jet engines roared to life, and with pre-flight checks complete, the fighters taxiied out onto the runway."
"Fighter pilots from the 15th Wing of the Spanish Air Force deployed to NATO's forward edge have just 15 minutes to get airborne once a quick reaction alert mission is activated, usually in response to a nearby aircraft flying without identification or purposefully dodging international regulations. Fighter jets are frequently sent out on very short notice to intercept Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea. NATO's Air Command recorded more than 500 rapid-response launches across allied airspace last year."
At Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania, Spanish 15th Wing pilots and support crews operate on quick reaction alert status requiring takeoff within 15 minutes when missions are activated. Crews mobilize rapidly from command buildings to hangars, start EF-18 engines, and taxi for immediate launches into the Baltic sky. Scrambles typically respond to unidentified or noncompliant aircraft and are frequently used to intercept Russian military planes and surveillance flights. NATO's Air Command recorded more than 500 rapid-response launches across allied airspace last year as part of air policing and related operations. Deployments rotate among member states to maintain forward air presence and reassure partners.
Read at Business Insider
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