Safe skies: NATO Air Policing – Benelux (master)

Credit: Elodie Romain | Date Taken: 07/19/2021
SYNOPSIS Across Europe, NATO fighter jets are on duty around the clock, ready to scramble in case of suspicious or unannounced flights near the airspace of our Allies. NATO calls this activity Air Policing, which has been an integral part of NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence for 60 years. In this series, we’ll explore NATO’s five special air policing arrangements to ensure the integrity of NATO’s airspace and the defence of our almost one billion citizens. In the Western European countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, keeping the skies safe is a team effort. In an arrangement known as Benelux Air Policing, the Belgian and Dutch Air Forces trade responsibility for patrolling the skies over the three countries. Footage includes shots of Belgian Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons. TEXT ON SCREEN LOCATION: BELGIUM, THE NETHERLANDS, LUXEMBOURG FEATURED AIRCRAFT: BELGIAN AIR FORCE F-16s SAFE SKIES: NATO AIR POLICING BELGIUM, THE NETHERLANDS AND LUXEMBOURG ARE KNOWN AS THE BENELUX COUNTRIES THEY SHARE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SECURING THEIR AIRSPACE AND INTERCEPTING ANY UNIDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT LUXEMBOURG DOES NOT HAVE AN AIR FORCE SO THE BELGIAN AND DUTCH AIR FORCES ROTATE AIR POLICING DUTIES ENSURING SAFE AIR TRAFFIC OVER THE BENELUX COUNTRIES AND KEEPING NATO AIRSPACE SECURE