On Friday, July 31, a ceremonial handover and a medal ceremony took place in Ämari Air Base, Estonia, during which Portuguese Air Force personnel, who had been patrolling the airspace of the Baltic states, handed over the surveillance to Turkish Air Force personnel, who will now begin providing air defence in the region with their F-16 fighter aircrafts.
„First of all, I would like to thank the Portuguese contingent for their excellent cooperation and dedication. The Portuguese Air Force’s contribution to the Baltic Air Policing mission has helped to keep our airspace secure and has strengthened NATO’s collective defence. Thank you for your outstanding cooperation! We wish you a safe journey home and success in your future assignments,” said Lieutenant Colonel Katrin Tõugjas, Commander of the Ämari Air Base of Estonian Air Force. „At the same time, I am pleased to welcome the Turkish contingent to Estonia as part of the Baltic air defence mission. Thank you for your readiness to take over this important responsibility! We are confident that your professionalism will ensure the continued success of the mission, and we wish you a safe and successful deployment.”
In accordance with the decision taken at the recent NATO Summit in Ankara, the NATO Baltic air defence mission will officially replace the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission on August 1, immediately following the start of the Turkish Air Force’s rotation, ending more than 22 years of continuous Air Policing mission in the Baltic States. Until now, the Baltic Air Policing mission has focused on monitoring the airspace and responding to potential airspace violations. The transition to an air defence mission introduces a more operational capability for active defence: if necessary, it will be possible to counter aerial attacks by employing NATO’s integrated air defence system.
Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur thanked the Portuguese Air Force personnel for safeguarding the airspace of Estonia and the other Baltic States and welcomed the Turkish Air Force contingent, which will serve a four-month deployment at Ämari Air Base.
„The presence of the Portuguese Air Force here at Ämari Air Base is an excellent example of allied cooperation, teamwork, and our two nations ensuring that our common European home stays safe. We share the same view of security – within NATO, there are no distant regions and no secondary threats. NATO is strengthening its Integrated Air and Missile Defence posture, which brings together fighter aircraft, ground-based air and missile defence systems, sensors, surveillance assets, command-and-control structures, and highly trained personnel into a coherent defensive architecture. This ensures that NATO can detect, track, assess, and respond to threats across the air domain,” said Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur. „Today, we also warmly welcome the Turkish Air Force at Ämari. Türkiye is a valued NATO Ally with substantial operational experience and an important role in the defence of the Alliance. Their presence is once again a clear demonstration that security in the Baltic region is a responsibility shared by Allies across the entire Alliance. This marks the Turkish Air Force’s first deployment to Ämari, building upon their previous Baltic Air Policing experience at Šiauliai Air Base. Estonia and Türkiye share a robust bilateral defence cooperation, anchored by joint NATO commitments. This partnership has recently expanded to include high-level visits, defence industry cooperation, and procurements.”
„Operating from Ämari Air Base as part of NATO’s Air Policing mission was a great honour for the Portuguese Air Force. The exceptional support provided by the Estonian Air Force and all Ämari Air Base personnel has been key to the success of our mission. On behalf of the Portuguese contingent, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for their professionalism, hospitality and unwavering commitment,” said Major Rui “Yoda” Andrade, Commander of the Portuguese unit.
For the Turkish Air Force, this is the third time it has provided air defence support as part of a NATO mission in the Baltic States, but the first time it has done so from Estonia, operating out of Ämari Air Base. The unit deployed to Ämari will keep their fighter aircrafts at a constant state of readiness at the air base, conducting identification flights when required and regularly participating in training flights.
„As the Turkish Armed Forces, we stand competent and ready to execute any NATO task anywhere in the world to ensure peace and stability. We extend our gratitude and respects to our host nation and its people for their warm hospitality,” said Lieutenant Colonel Atila Özdemir, Commander of the Turkish Air Force’s 181st Squadron. „ Furthermore, I would like to emphasize that while protecting the airspace of our Ally, Estonia, we feel the exact same dedication and care as we do when defending our own homeland.”
The US-made multirole F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine light combat aircraft. Its multirole capability allows it to be used in air defence as a fighter aircraft, as an attack aircraft against ground and maritime targets, and for carrying out various intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
According to a decision by the North Atlantic Council, the air forces of NATO member states have been protecting the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on a rotational basis since March 29, 2004, when the Baltic States joined NATO. At the 2012 NATO Chicago Summit, the North Atlantic Council decided to extend the mission to protect the airspace of the Baltic States indefinitely.
