Tallinn (Alliance News) - A military airport in Amari, Estonia, will be converted into a base from which NATO will increase its surveillance of the Baltic air space, the Estonian ambassador to NATO confirmed on Thursday.
The move is a part of efforts on the part of NATO to ramp up the Baltic air policing mission it launched in 2004, Lauri Lepik told daily newspaper Postimees.
"Estonia has been saying for a long time that the Baltic air policing mission could have two bases - one in Siauliai, Lithuania, and another in Amari, Estonia," he told the newspaper.
"Several allies have offered to provide more aircraft, which makes it possible to open a second base," he said, adding that the construction of the base could be completed this year.
The news comes in response to the crisis in Ukraine and the illegal incorporation of Crimean into the Russian Federation.
Copyright dpa