In late March, Air Force commanders from the nations of Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden pledged to create a joint air command. This joint air command will counter threats from Russia and restrict their provocative freedom of movement across the Baltic Sea.

This initiative is a significant deterrence instead of renewed imperial ambitions of Russia. Still, it also sends a message to other NATO members who have politicked veto power towards membership—Turkey being the highest case.

What is the Joint Air Command Initiative?

Initially talked about since the mid-nineties, the joint Baltic air command will be comprised of 250 modern frontline aircraft. It is unclear how many aircraft each country will allocate towards the initiative of this defense pact.