either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content German air force fighter jets have intercepted Russian aircraft reportedly operating "without a flight plan and radio contact" above the Baltic Sea This is responsible for all air policing in European NATO airspace north of the Alps—including control of NATO's Baltic Air Policing operation The German air force was aided by NATO ally Finland which conducted a quick-reaction alert (QRA) to identify the aircraft The Russian planes were identified as an Ilyushin Il-20 Coot and an Antonov An-12 Cub D In April, Poland's Armed Forces Operational Command said Polish aircraft had intercepted a Russian Il-20 twice in less than a week The plane was flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea performing reconnaissance missions though it did not fly over Polish territorial waters The Baltic Sea has garnered renewed importance for Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine pressuring NATO countries bordering the sea including Estonia NATO said that more than 90,000 military personnel 50 ships and 1,100 combat vehicles from its 32 member nations participated in its Steadfast Defender 24 exercise between January and May service members joined roughly 23,000 multinational service members from more than 20 allied and partner nations as part of the exercise between May 28-31 the largest such exercise since the Cold War new NATO member Sweden announced it is finalizing an agreement with the U.S and craft a new national security strategy that factors in its 31 new treaty allies "This is a direct consequence of Russia's illegal unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine," Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson told reporters earlier this month "This is the mother of all unintended consequences for Russian strategic thinking." ET: This story was updated with additional information Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all Bradley Spears earned his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in June 1994 He has held various positions at the squadron and joint command levels to include squadron and wing command His staff assignments include Plans Officer Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe Prior to his current assignment he was the Commander Spears is a command pilot with more than 3,100 hours in C-21A He is a distinguished graduate of the US Army War College and holds three masters’ degrees including a Master’s in Business Administration from Colorado State University EDUCATION 1994 Bachelor of Science degree in political science by correspondence 2006 Master of Business Administration Master’s Degree in Military Operational Arts and Science by correspondence 2015 Distinguished graduate Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Command pilot Flight hours: more than 3,100 Aircraft flown: T-37 MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal Gallant Unit Citation EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant June 1 Center for Community, Suite S360 101 UCB Boulder, CO 80309centerforleadership@colorado.edu The Center for Leadership acknowledges that the University sits upon land within the territories of the Ute we acknowledge that 48 contemporary tribal nations are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado University of Colorado Boulder Privacy • Legal & Trademarks • Campus Map University of Colorado Boulder The German Ministry of Defense announced the creation of a new space command joining a growing list of countries allocating more military resources to missions in outer space German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer officially launched the new space command center on the 13 July in a ceremony at the German Center for Air and Space Operations in Uedem or the Bundeswehr’s space command will take on a wide variety of missions ranging from supporting ground operations through reconnaissance as well as the tracking of dangerous space debris that threatens to disrupt allied communication lines “Our prosperity and security are highly dependent on space,” Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said in a press briefing at the inauguration ceremony “Our civilian and military satellites have long since become a resource without which nothing works The German Air Force has been using the Center for Air Operations to monitor its space assets, coordinate systems, and recommend evasion routes for commercial satellite operators since 2009. After the NATO alliance’s 2019 declaration of outer space as a new operational domain, the Luftwaffe established the Air and Space Operation Center in 2020 The U.S. created the Space Force in late 2019 as one of its eight independent armed forces services transferring personnel and command structures to it from the Air Force Space Command’s 16,000 active duty and civilian personnel necessitating military support in the face of external aggression The exercise includes more than 7,000 sailors as well as 75 aircraft and 45 ships from 14 NATO members – the United States which have recently applied to join the alliance “During BALTOPS 22 NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) at Uedem, Germany will direct all air operations and synchronise them with the maritime activities, with the focus on freedom of movement and security in the Maritime Domain,” NATO press release quoted Major General Harold Van Pee, Commander of CAOC Uedem, as saying. Starting in Stockholm, Sweden with a Pre-Sail event, and ending in Kiel, Germany, the training will have two more phases: a combat enhancement training and a force integration training with a tactical segment of air defence to strengthen the cohesion and capabilities of NATO Allies and Partners in all three domains – air, land, and sea – according to the press release. “With both Sweden and Finland participating, NATO is seizing the chance in an unpredictable world to enhance its joint force resilience and strength together with two aspirants for alliance membership in a combined effort,” it said. were not in contact with civilian air traffic control as customary under international aviation rules Open image viewerStock photo of a Hornet fighter during a flight exercise in 2023 Image: Toni Pitkänen / YleYle News17.7.2024 16:00Finnish and Swedish fighter jets on Monday carried out a joint mission over the Baltic Sea the Nato military alliance reported on Wednesday Nato's Combined Air Operation Centre in Uedem detected two Russian fighter jets over international waters in the Baltic Sea The jets had taken off from Kaliningrad and were heading towards mainland Russia were not in radio contact with civilian air traffic control as is customary under international aviation rules The aircraft were also tracked by Finnish and Swedish air operation centres Both allies launched their quick reaction alert (QRA) forces to intercept the Russian military aircraft in coordination with the Nato aviation base in Germany Ilta-Sanomat was the first Opens an external websiteto report the news.