Estonian MOD honors Spanish air defense unit with mission medals
On Tuesday at Ämari Air Base, Undersecretary for Defense Planning at the Estonian Ministry of Defense Tiina Uudeberg awarded mission medals to the members of the Spanish NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) medium-range air defense system unit.
"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of air defense and air superiority. It grants freedom to maneuver on both land and sea. The decision taken at the NATO Vilnius Summit to further enhance NATO's air and missile defense with a new rotational air defense model is therefore especially welcome. This will allow fighter aircraft and air defense systems to practice a rapid transition from air deterrence to air-defense on NATO's eastern flank," said Uudeberg in her speech.
The Spanish NASAMS contingent arrived in Estonia in April this year on the orders of the NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, similar to the unit in Latvia, and as part of NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defense along the eastern flank.
On August 29, on the margins the EU defense ministers' meeting in Toledo, Spanish Minister of Defense Margarita Robles and Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) announced that Spain will extend the rotation of the NASAMS air defense systems in Estonia.
From August 1 to December 1, Spain will also contribute to the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission for the third time in the form of Eurofighters, which are stationed at Ämari Air Base.
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Editor: Michael Cole
