USAFE, NATO team up for Latvian air policing mission

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Eric Schnaible
  • USAFE News Service
RIGA, Latvia (USAFENS) --  U.S. Air Forces in Europe Airmen teamed up with their Latvian counterparts and other NATO allies to ensure safe skies for President George W. Bush’s recent Baltic nation visit.

More than 50 USAFE Airmen from across the command supported Task Force Salty Weasel, the operational name for USAFE’s augmentation of NATO’s air policing mission for the president’s May 6-7 visit here.

The participants included F-16CJ 'Wild Weasels' from the 22nd and 23rd Fighter Squadrons, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and KC-135E Stratotankers from the 351st Air Refueling Squadron, 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England.

NATO air forces routinely maintain vigilance across member nation’s airspace against military threats, but transfer authority to the host nation for engagement of renegade civilian aircraft. In the Post-9/11 world, they also conduct air policing.

The on-call forces flying the NATO air policing mission over Latvia included forward deploying Dutch F-16s providing a defensive counter air capability and NATO E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System from Geilenkirchen AB, Germany, providing a recognized air picture.

Spangdahlem’s Viper pilots and RAF Mildenhall’s tanker aircrews maintained a continuous 24-hour combat air patrol over Latvian airspace, with rotational aircraft launched from and recovered to their home stations every several hours through the duration. The 52nd FW had also pre-positioned four F-16CJs at Aviano AB, Italy, as spares.

Adhering to pre-established and rehearsed rules of engagement, four U.S. F-16s were continually ‘’on station’’ to deter and monitor any renegade commercial air threat that might try to penetrate Latvian airspace.

Gen. Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong, triple-hatted as the commander for the Task Force, USAFE and Allied Air Component Command Ramstein, NATO’s air component command for northern Europe, monitored all aircraft movements from an Air Operations Center here. Working beside Latvian air traffic controllers, the Latvian air force commander and a U.S. Secret Service agent, the task force monitored all flying activity for airspace situational awareness.

The USAFE A-3 Operations Director, Maj. Gen. Bob DuLaney, served as the deputy commander for Task Force Salty Weasel and oversaw the on-site coordination and pre-event mission rehearsals including a table top and ‘’live fly’’ exercise for the U.S. ambassador and the Latvian chief of defense here.

A diplomatic exchange of notes between the U.S. and Latvia enabled the bilateral arrangement in advance of the visit, according to Col. Jim Wise, USAFE Staff Judge Advocate. For rapid communication, response hotlines to the respective nation’s command authorities were set up and checked should a declared hostile civilian aircraft pose a threat requiring their approval for fighter aircraft engagement to negate it.

Clearly defined were hand-offs of potential targets of interest from NATO to U.S. fighters and the use of International Civil Aviation Organization advance warning signs and deterrence methods. These would be used to advise any suspect or non-communicative aircraft for positive determination if it was a renegade or hostile aircraft so as to mitigate any error.

This tasking was a unique opportunity to demonstrate NATO’s air forces inter-operability in a real-world air policing mission, said General Foglesong.

“I’m very proud how we employ airpower on a daily basis in this theater to ensure the sovereign airspace of fellow NATO members --- and in this op, to protect our President,” the general said. ”Working closely with a newer NATO member air force was also rewarding -- developing personal relationships and working together to coordinate, support and execute such an important, time-sensitive mission.”

The USAFE Air Forces Europe warfighting Headquarters staff and the 32nd Air Operations Group led the task force planning effort and provided air battle managers, air traffic ground controllers, aircraft operators and intelligence officers.

Eleven members of 1st Combat Communications Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany, deployed in advance with the required equipment to provide and maintain robust secure communications with all participants in the task force, a critical command and control node in the effort. Aerospace Ground Equipment, light carts, R-11 aviation fuel trucks, security forces personnel and a military working dog and handler rounded out the support.

The Latvian air force air traffic control members were critical enablers, providing operational coordination and expertise, according to Col. Rod Zastrow, NATO CC Air Ramstein’s director of operations. Latvian air force Mi-8 helicopters provided lower-level air surveillance and Mi-8s from all three Baltic nations (Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia) air force air forces provided a Search and Rescue capability.

According to Latvian Air Force Capt. Eizens Jekabsons, deputy commander of the Air Surveillance Operations Center the mission was a great opportunity.

“This was both the first and largest live air mission we have experience,” said Captain Jekabsons. “Our Ops Center provided situational awareness, radar coverage and skillful coordination with civilian air traffic control. It was a great opportunity to work with such respected and experienced professionals to ensure air policing and security for both our national leaders and the heads of state from Lithuania and Estonia.”

For the USAFE Airmen and NATO professionals who executed their assigned tasks, Salty Weasel was a demanding mission well accomplished, said Lt. Col. Pete Castor, 32nd AOG deputy commander and site commander of the deployed forces.

“The best part of being in the Air Force is watching a team come together this rapidly to execute a mission,” said Colonel Castor. “Task Force Salty Weasel integrated tankers, fighters, the AOC, Regional Air Surveillance Centers, Control Reporting Centers, communications and a myriad of other assets across eight locations and multi-layered command relationships to provide critical Presidential support. The mission was conducted under the NATO structure, so we successfully exercised those relations in ’real world’ ops.”