New facilities for accommodation of NATO troops and equipment which were built using US-allocated funds were solemnly opened on Tuesday at Amari Air Base near Tallinn, reported the press service of the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces.

According to Estonian Defense Minister Jüri Luik, the facilities, among which is a new hangar, a headquarters building and a platform for explosive goods, were built as part of the US Executive Defense International in Europe (EDI). The project cost is around 15 million dollars.

“Many different exercises are being conducted here. Sometimes, large squadrons of NATO troops are present. We need to build new infrastructure facilities to meet the required level,” the press service cited Luik as saying.

The minister emphasized that the new facilities in Amari are not only for American military aircraft. "Of course, they can be used by other NATO troops or other allies. So it is beneficial for everyone," Luik added.

The head of the engineering and logistics service of the US Air Force in Europe, Brigadier General Roy Agustin said that the project works took nine months and the construction itself took fifteen months to complete. “For such a large project, this is very fast,” the general stressed.

German Eurofighter jets are currently deployed at Amari air base as part of the air patrol mission over the Baltic countries. Baltic nations have no aircraft of their own for patrol purposes so NATO aircraft from different nations patrol the area on a rotational basis rotation, out of Zokniai airfield in Lithuania, five kilometers away from Siauliai.

NATO has been patrolling the area since the Baltic countries joined in April 2004. Nowadays, Amari air base became an additional deployment point for NATO aircraft. At the NATO summit in Chicago in 2012, the mission was extended for an indefinite period.

  USA, Estonia, NATO

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