"Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas rejoices at the successful generation of capabilities for the NATO Air Policing mission in the Baltic States and the increasing number of allies wiling to contribute," the statement said.
It will be the second time Dutch troops will protect the Baltic airspace. They participated in the NATO air policing mission in the first half of 2005.
Hungary and Italy are also resolved to join the mission. The countries are planned to send their military personnel and equipment in 2015.
NATO member states began sending their air capabilities for ensuring security of the Baltic airspace in March 2004 when Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia entered NATO.
Since the launch of the mission, air contingents of Belgium, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States of America,, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, France, Romania, Turkey and Germany have been deployed to protect the Baltic skies.
At the moment Denmark is carrying out the mission from the Air Base of the Lithuanian Air Force in Šiauliai.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are sharing Host Nation Support costs in equal parts. In 2011, the sum totaled EUR 2.2 million. The Baltic countries have agreed to increase the spending gradually to the annual EUR 5 million with the major part of the allocation shared equally between the three Baltic states.
On February 8, 2012, the North Atlantic Council adopted a resolution extending NATO air policing mission indefinitely.
