Nato jet collides with Lithuanian fighter plane

A French Nato jet on Tuesday collided with a fighter plane from the Lithuanian air force in northern Lithuania, the Defense Ministry said.

The Lithuanian aircraft — a Czech-made L39 training plane — crashed following the incident, but both pilots were able to eject to safety.

The French embassy confirmed that the French Mirage jet landed safely.

Reuters said the incident occurred over the Siauliai airbase in northern Lithuania, where the Nato mission is based.

Local media reports said the Lithuanian pilots landed in Rekyva lake, which is in the Siauliai region. Their plane reportedly crashed about 16 kilometers from the base.

The BBC said that Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius has announced an investigation into the mid-air collision.

We can only state with relief that casualties were avoided. Unfortunately, incidents like this sometimes happen.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have been Nato members since 2004, but Reuters said that planes from other Nato nations patrol Baltic skies.