Czech pilots first in action in BalticKlaipeda - Czech pilots of the Jas-39 Gripen fighters who have protected the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia within NATO since May were used for the first time on Thursday, spokesman David Schreier from the command Air Policing told CTK today.
They intervened against a civilian plane that violated the no-fly border zone between Lithuania and Russia, monitoring it until its landing near Klaipeda, Schreier said.
Pilots Roman Svoboda and Jiri Cermak saw a plane with German immatriculation that violated the no-fly border zone nine minutes after it took off, Schreier said.
However, they did not manage to establish radio communication with its crew on the international emergency frequency.
Due to this, the control centre ordered them to fly closer to the watched aircraft in order to find out whether anything unusual occurred on its board.
After this alternative was ruled out the pilots monitored the aircraft until its landing, Schreier said, adding that the civilian aircraft would be now investigated for violation of the rules by the Lithuanian Office for Civilian Aviation.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, former republics of the Soviet Union, do not have their own fighter planes to protect their airspace.
Czech Jas-39 Gripens will patrol the airspace in the Baltic countries for four months.
Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia have been protected by NATO since 2004. Czechs are in the 20th contingent of the mission planned at least until 2011.
Author: ČTK
www.ctk.czSource
http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/zpravy/czech-pilots-first-in-action-in-baltic/378328
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