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Estonian airmen kicked into action at the Spring Storm exercise on Monday together with allies from Poland and France, the latter are participating with fighter jets performing the Baltic air policing mission.
French fighters also participating in Estonian defense forces' exercise Spring Storm
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Airmen are simulating provision of fire support to land forces. The main task of the participating aircraft is to influence the course of the training battle by attacking land-based forces and objects in the combat area, military spokespeople said. The planes will also perform observation and medical evacuation flights and provide various types of air transport. Practicing cooperation between land and air forces has the central place in the training.
Participating in the exercise are all services of the Amari air base. Polish attack aircraft SU-22 and Estonia's training jets L-39, light helicopters R-44 and light transport planes An-2 are operating out of Amari. The French Mirage F-1 aircraft that currently patrol Baltic skies join the action from the Siauliai air base in Lithuania. All told 12 aircraft are involved in Spring Storm.
Besides planes and helicopters, Air Force liaison officers at the headquarters of the exercise and tactical fire controllers at land force units play an important role.
"The benefits from such a joint training are multiple. Land forces get a much more realistic picture of the present-day combat environment in which the side that controls the airspace as a rule emerges as the winner," Air Force commander Col. Jaak Tarien said. "The Polish Air Force unit can practice relocation from home base and operation in a new environment. For the Estonian Air Force this is an opportunity to train operational support for allied aircraft."
Spring Storm that started on May 9 is conducted mostly in the territory of the defense forces' central training ground on the border of Harju and West-Viru counties. In addition to land forces, the Navy and allied troops from Britain, Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are participating in this year's edition of the exercise.
Spring Storm will end with a line-up at the Kuusalu stadium on May 25.