Air Policing mission over Montenegro to be launched on Tuesday, 5 June

Podgorica, Montenegro (2 June 2018) -- Fighter aircrafts of the Air Force of Italy and the Air Force of Greece, in cooperation with the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Montenegro, will start on Tuesday, 5 June, 2018, the regular patrolling of Montenegro's airspace and its protection (Air Policing Mission) by demonstrating an "aircraft-intruder" landing exercise.

The Air Policing Mission is one of the most important forms of direct benefit of Montenegro's membership in NATO.

Given its limited capacities, Montenegro will receive support from Allies in the field of airspace protection through the NATO mission of non-combat character, for which Montenegro will have no additional financial obligations other than those already foreseen in the joint NATO budget. 

NATO Air Policing Mission ensures the integrity of Allies’ airspace and protects Alliance nations by maintaining 24/7 Air Policing, carried out under the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS).

Cooperation of Allies in the protection of those Allies who are without the necessary means to provide air policing of their own territory, which started in 1961, includes the protection of the airspace of Iceland and Luxembourg; of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since 2004 - in which up to now the aviation of 14 Allies have participated, and of Slovenia, whose airspace has been protected by Italian and Hungarian aircrafts. Furthermore, since 2009, the airplanes of Italy and Greece have been protecting the airspace of Albania, and starting from Tuesday, 5 June 2018, the airspace of Montenegro will also be protected. Since 2015, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have been jointly protecting their airspace.

On the occasion of the beginning of the protection of Montenegro's airspace on the day of the first anniversary of the country's membership in NATO, on Tuesday, 5 June, the media representatives will be enabled to cover a part of the exercise and have interviews with Minister of Defense Predrag Bošković and competent high-ranking officers of the Armed Forces of Montenegro and the allied countries that will be carrying out the Air Policing mission.