On the sidelines of the informal meeting of European Union defense ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur and Luxembourg’s Minister of Defense Yuriko Backes exchanged a memorandum of understanding by which Luxembourg will contribute 12 million euros towards the renovation of the Amari Air Base in Estonia.
“With this contribution from Luxembourg, we will improve the quality of our air base, which will help us better support and service allied fighter jets and our own planes in Amari. This is an excellent example of allies contributing directly to the security of the whole region. We are very grateful to our allies in Luxembourg for strengthening the security of Estonia and the wider region,” Pevkur said according to spokespeople in Tallinn.
The minister of defense of Luxembourg, Yuriko Backes, described NATO’s Baltic air policing mission as an essential activity to maintain peace and security in the alliance’s airspace. She said Luxembourg is proud to already contribute via the provision of refueling capabilities and now through the renovation of the Amari Air Base.
“With this financial contribution, Luxembourg is not only supporting our ally Estonia, it is also an investment into our common effort of securing NATO airspace and therefore an investment into our very own security,” Backes said.
With the support of funding from Luxembourg, the runway at Amari will get new surfacing, the fighter jet hangar apron will be renovated, the drainage system will be renovated, and the runway markings will be replaced.
The total cost of the renovation of the airside of the Amari Air Base is 18.5 million euros. The renovation will take place from March to October 2024, during which time the Baltic air policing fighter jets will operate from the Lielvarde Air Base in Latvia, with only allied helicopters landing in Amari. After the renovation is completed, the fighters will return to Amari.
Luxembourg has financially supported air policing in Amari also in previous years, as well as the construction of a training center for operators of unmanned aerial vehicles at Nurmsi, Estonia.
Source: BNS
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