[Video] U.S. F-15C jet fighter scrambles from Lithuanian airbase

April 8, 2014 Military Aviation

David Cenciotti

U.S. F-15C Eagle jets belonging to the 48th Fighter Wing from RAF Lakenheath, UK, are providing NATO Air Policing in the Baltics Area.

The following footage shows US F-15C pilots “scrambling” for action at the Baltic Regional Training Event held at Šiauliai, Lithuania, on Apr. 1.

US pilots based in Šiauliai, Lithuania provide Air Policing in the Baltics region, where Russian Air Force strategic bombers presence often requires NATO jet fighters to perform Alert Scrambles, to intercept Il-20 spyplanes, Tu-22M Backfire bombers and Su-27 fighter jets.

On Feb. 24, two F-15Cs taking part to a flyby in Estonia were diverted to intercept a Russian plane before overflying the city of Pärnu.

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a freelance journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.