Greece has declined a request from the Baltic nations – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – to participate in air patrols over their airspace, citing its current obligations in the Balkans.

Tensions with Russia have made air defense a priority in the region, leading to routine interceptions of Russian aircraft near Baltic borders.

However, Greece’s Hellenic Air Force (HAF) is already deeply committed to patrolling the airspace of Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, and it is set to expand those duties to include Bulgaria in 2025.

The request from the Baltic nations came amid increasing concerns over Russian activity near NATO’s eastern borders. However, Athens pointed to the strain on its air force, which is responsible for airspace security in the Aegean, as well as recent international military exercises that have stretched its resources.

In recent weeks, Greek fighter jets participated in NATO’s Ramstein Flag ‘24 exercise, held in Greece, and were also sent to India for the Tarang Shakti drills.

Greek F-16s already patrol Balkan airspace regularly, with the HAF set to assume responsibility for Bulgaria’s airspace early next year. This mission is shared with Italy, with patrols taking place every 15 days.

For the time being, Bulgaria has limited air-defense capabilities, relying on an aging fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets.

The country has ordered new F-16 jets, but they will not be operational until 2025.

Athens’ decision also reflects its domestic defense needs.

Greece currently has a Patriot missile battery deployed in Saudi Arabia and is unable to meet additional NATO requests for military equipment.

Greek officials have emphasized the country’s need to maintain sufficient resources to safeguard its own national airspace amid rising regional tensions.

Source: Ekathimerini.com