E.550 CAEW missions in the Baltic: 10 days of tracking

After the events of the past few days, it has become clear that the Italian Air Force Gulfstream E.550 CAEW (reg. MM62293), deployed to Ämari, Estonia, is one of NATO’s most valuable assets in the Baltic theater. The CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning) is based on the Gulfstream G550 business jet and is equipped with advanced AESA radar and electronic surveillance systems, providing early warning, command and control, and real-time situational awareness to allied forces.

We therefore decided to review its flight tracks over the last ten days.
It is evident that the missions tend to follow a rather consistent pattern, with orbits concentrated over Estonia—where Russian aircraft incursions are more frequent (as in the recent case of the three MiG-31s)—or over Lithuania, from where both Belarus and the Kaliningrad enclave can be closely monitored.

In recent days, the Italian government has declared its willingness to extend the deployment of the CAEW in the Baltic States, providing further support to NATO’s “Sentinel of the East” mission.