North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
April 28, 2014
DSACEUR VISITS WARSAW FOR FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT: THANKS POLAND FOR CONTRIBUTION TO AIR POLICING
Warsaw, POLAND: General Sir Adrian Bradshaw conducted his first official visit as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) by visiting the Polish capital, Warsaw on Monday, 28 April 2014. He met with senior Polish military officials including Lt. Gen. Mieczyslaw Gocul, the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, and discussed NATO’s reassurance measures in light of the evolving situation in Ukraine.
NATO is implementing a number of measures on land, sea, and air, in order to reassure our Allies and to strengthen collective readiness.
The Alliance is tripling its air activity by increasing the Baltic Air Policing Mission to twelve aircraft from the normal allocation of four. Poland is providing 4 MiG-29 aircraft to the next Baltic Air Policing rotation that starts on 1 May 2014. The United Kingdom and Denmark will also contribute fighters to the mission. Around 100 Polish aircrew will support the four-month deployment to Šiauliai, Lithuania. The mission marks the fifth time that Poland has supported Baltic Air Policing since the mission began.
“Poland’s contribution to the Baltic Air Policing Mission sends a strong message of Alliance solidarity during this time of increased tension,” said General Bradshaw. “NATO is concerned by the current instability in Ukraine, which is why we are increasing our level of readiness,” he said.
Other measures to increase air readiness include the deployment of four French fighter aircraft to Poland which will conduct readiness and interoperability training. Last month, NATO began daily surveillance flights over Poland and Romania using its AWACS, in order to keep a close eye on Eastern European airspace. Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Groups 1 and 2 are also being deployed to the Baltic Sea and Eastern Mediterranean respectively as an additional reassurance measure.
During the visit, General Bradshaw highlighted NATO’s clear interest in the security and stability of its Eastern Allies and reinforced NATO’s unwavering commitment to collective security.
“Poland is a strong and reliable Ally,” said General Bradshaw. “You have taken great strides to modernize and increase the effectiveness of your military forces, and your contributions in Afghanistan have been significant. You have been a staunch supporter of Alliance exercises, as you clearly demonstrated by hosting Exercise STEADFAST JAZZ last year,” he said.
Story by SHAPE Public Affairs Office
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