A NATO E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft arrives at iauliai Air Base, Lithuania, April 23, 2025. Three E-3A aircraft will support the mission of monitoring the Baltic Sea region from the base. (NATO AWACS)
NATO is sending long-range surveillance aircraft to Lithuania for a mission across the Baltics, the alliance said in a recent statement.
The first of three E-3A AWACS planes is currently operating out of Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania, the Friday statement said. The move comes amid concerns in the region about increased Russian military activity near NATO territory.
NATO did not mention Russian activity as the reason for the deployment. However, the alliance has stepped up its presence in the region in recent months amid concerns about potential Russian sabotage.
The deployment of three surveillance aircraft known as NATO’s “eyes in the sky” will last for several weeks, the alliance said.
“The detachment will also monitor the Baltic Sea region, strengthening NATO’s presence on the eastern flank,” it added.
NATO’s AWACS planes serve as an early-warning system for the alliance, enabling it to monitor military activities out to a distance of 250 miles.
The Baltic Sentry mission, which began in January, was prompted by a series of suspected sabotage incidents last year that resulted in damage to undersea energy pipelines and communication cables.
NATO E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft wait on the tarmac in Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania, April 23, 2025. Three E-3A aircraft will support the mission of monitoring the Baltic Sea region and strengthening NATO’s presence on the eastern flank of the alliance. (NATO AWACS)
A NATO AWACS crew is welcomed after landing at Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania, April 23, 2025. Three E-3A aircraft are supporting the monitoring mission in the Baltic Sea region. (NATO AWACS)
The alliance-led effort incorporates naval surveillance drones, warships, submarines and aircraft to identify and track ships.
The AWACS deployment to the Baltics also comes as Russia prepares for large-scale military drills in September in Belarus, which borders Lithuania and Poland.
In the past, the quadrennial Zapad drill has involved moving large numbers of Russian troops to Belarus. Over the years, the drill has raised concerns that it could be used as a pretext for causing trouble on NATO’s eastern flank.
Polish defense officials have said they are readying large exercises of their own to coincide with Zapad as a way of showcasing allied preparedness.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking on Ukrainian public radio last week, issued his own warning.
“Look at Belarus,” Zelenskyy said. “This summer Russia is preparing something there, hiding behind military exercises. This is how (Russia’s) new attacks usually begin. But where this time? I don’t know.”
