BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Estonian Minister of Defense, Hanno Pevkur, presented mission medals to members of the Italian Air Force serving in the Baltic Air Policing mission at Ämari Air Base, Trend reports.
During the ceremony, Minister Pevkur emphasized that the deployment of the Italian contingent coincided with a particularly precarious period for European security, as reported by Trend via the Ministry of Defense of Estonia.
He underscored that a recent breach of Estonia’s airspace by foreign military aircraft highlighted the critical importance of the mission and commended the Italian unit, alongside the SAMP/T air defense system, for responding with exceptional professionalism.
"Your presence here in Estonia is a vital component of NATO’s enhanced deterrence posture. You provide daily security and reassurance to the people of Estonia, while simultaneously safeguarding NATO’s airspace," Pevkur remarked.
The Italian Task Force Air (TFA) 4th Wing assumed its rotation in August, taking over responsibilities from Portugal. The Italian Air Force will continue to play a key role in protecting Baltic airspace, with a new unit set to rotate into Estonia. Italian Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighters remain on 24/7 alert at Ämari Air Base as part of NATO’s mission.
The Baltic Air Policing mission, a peacetime operation established in 2004 following the accession of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to NATO, ensures that allied air forces protect the airspace of all three Baltic States, which do not maintain their own fighter aircraft.