GALLERY: Germany takes charge of Baltic air policing mission at Ämari
A handover ceremony took place today at Ämari airbase, where the United Kingdom transfered responsibility for the Baltic air policing mission in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to Germany. Like British air force, the Germans will use Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets during their four-month rotation in Estonia.
The UK troops will return to their base at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland.
The ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Sven Mikser, the head of the Estonian Defense Forces Maj. Gen. Riho Terras, British Ambassador to Estonia Christopher Holtby, German Deputy Head of Mission Reinhard Wiemer, and Lieutenant General Joachim Wundrak, who is the executive director of the Joint Air Power Competence Centre in Germany.
The Baltic Air Policing mission was established in 2004, to assist Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania who have no airborne air defense capability of their own.
Editor: M. Oll