French Mirage jets to make low-altitude overflights Wednesday and Thursday
French Air Force (Armée de l'Air Française ) Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets involved in NATO Baltic air policing duties are to make low altitude flyovers in central Estonian airspace on Wednesday and Thursday, regional daily Järva Teataja reports.
The Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) general staff says that efforts are being made to avoid densely populated areas during the flights, which will be at an altitude no lower than 152 meters, but smaller settlements and farms may be in the flight path, the daily reports (link in Estonian).
The flights will take place between 3 p.m. and 4.15 p.m. local time, on Wednesday, August 12 and Thursday, August 13, and take place in areas allocated by the Estonian government – as is standard NATO member state practice – for such exercises, and in conjunction with the Civil Aviation Administration (Lennuamet) and air traffic services (EANS).
The French air force planes have been based at Ämari, southwest of Tallinn, since spring as part of the standard rotation which NATO air policing brings.
The Dassault Mirage 2000-5 is a multirole, single-engine fighter and part of the Mirage dynasty of French fast jets.
Estonia has been a NATO member since 2004.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
