(VOVworld) - Norway has taken over from Italy in leading NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission over Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. Other NATO nations on the mission include Britain, as well as Italy and Belgium, which were part of the previous rotation and are continuing their involvement.

The mission started in 2004 when Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia joined the alliance, but because they don’t have their own air forces, NATO takes on the responsibility for looking after their airspace.

The Baltic mission was expanded in May 2014 because of Russia’s repeated flights in international airspace near to the Baltic countries. It forms part of a wider effort to counter Russia, after it annexed Crimea in March 2014 and became involved in the eastern Ukraine war since it began in April 2014.