The Netherlands has taken over responsibility for NATO’s air policing mission at Estonia’s Ämari Air Base from the Spanish Air Force as of 1 December 2024, ERR reports. The Royal Netherlands Air Force has deployed F-35 fighter jets to the air base, which was reopened after runway repairs that lasted nine months. The Netherlands will…
The defence ministers of the three Baltic States met with a high official of Poland’s Defence Ministry in Latvia’s Daugavpils to discuss the strengthening of regional defence infrastructure, LSM reports. Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds stressed the importance of implementing NATO decisions to strengthen the defence of the alliance’s eastern flank, including regional air-defence capabilities….
Estonia and Finland are drawing up joint plans for increased maritime defence, Major General Andrus Merilo, commander of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), revealed, ERR reports. Speaking in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, Merilo said that the goal was to establish specific plans to close the Gulf of Finland to Russian ships if necessary. Earlier,…
The crash of a Russian attack drone in eastern Latvia on 7 September 2024 has raised concerns about the ability of Baltic air defence systems to protect civilians from unexpected aerial threats, The Baltic Sentinel reports. Critics questioned why the drone, which was equipped with explosives, was not shot down but was instead allowed to…
Lithuania is seeking continuous presence of US combat troops in the country, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election, President Gitanas Nauseda stated, BNS reports. Speaking after visiting US troops at the Pabrade training area near Vilnius, Nauseda noted that the base would soon be able to accommodate about 1,000 US troops. At…
Estonia has opened a new military base in the village of Juba, near the southern Estonian town of Võru, ERR reports. The Reedo army base has 14 buildings that can accommodate up to 1,000 Estonian and NATO military personnel. The base is a mustering zone where allied troops can prepare for combat. The construction costs…
Estonia’s new ambassador to Georgia, Marge Mardisalu-Kahar, has presented her credentials to Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, Civil.ge reports. During the presentation ceremony, Zourabichvili and Mardisalu-Kahar discussed bilateral relations, Georgia’s EU integration, the situation in Georgia, and support for Ukraine. The ambassador assured that Estonia would continue to support Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration and Georgia’s territorial integrity….
The Lithuanian government plans to allocate 3% of GDP to defence in the 2025 draft budget, Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste told Ziniu Radijas, BNS reports. However, if the economic indicators allowed, the government could borrow more for specific defence needs, she added. The minister noted that the projected 3% growth of GDP in 2025 would…
An unidentified flying object crossed into Latvian airspace in Kraslava municipality from neighbouring Belarus in the morning of 17 September 2024, the Ministry of Defence announced, LETA reports. NATO fighter jets were scrambled from the Lielvarde air base, but no suspicious objects were found in Latvian airspace. Earlier, a Russian military attack drone crashed in…