NATO strengthens Baltic air defense as Spanish EF-18Ms and Turkish F-16s train with Estonian crews at Ämari

Spanish EF-18M fighters and Turkish F-16s trained with Estonian ground crews at Ämari Air Base on August 27 to align procedures for NATO's Baltic air-defense mission. Estonia's personnel refueled Spanish aircraft, firefighters and Spanish medical teams reviewed rescue and emergency measures, and the two fighter contingents flew familiarization sorties to improve coordination and flight safety. Spain's Ámbar detachment, activated in Estonia on August 25, is integrating into an Eastern Flank posture that also includes Turkish aircraft in Estonia and Italian Eurofighters in Lithuania; the activity is rotational training rather than a permanent basing change.