NATO Units Arrive in Estonia for Drills

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U.S. paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division (File)InternationalIndiaAfricaHELSINKI (Sputnik) – The US-led Swift Response military exercise has been launched in Estonia to increase interoperability and practice deployment of local and NATO armed forces in the country, the Estonian Defense Forces said on Tuesday. “Almost 1,500 soldiers from Poland, the US, Czech Republic, the UK, Latvia and Estonia are taking part in the drills. Nearly 600 paratroopers from Poland, the UK and the Czech Republic will parachute to Nurmsi airfield as part of a large-scale airborne operation. The active stage of the drills will end in Estonia on May 14,” the military said. MilitaryFinland’s Military Spending Soars to Cold War Levels as It Joins NATO25 April, 05:47 GMTThe troops will stage various airborne operations to practice fast deployment and immediate task performance during the drills, Estonian Staff Commander at the exercise Colonel Viktor Kalnitski said. “For the Estonian Defense Forces’ part, it is important for us to perfect comprehensive support of allies reception and to coordinate and arrange various aerial and land operations,” Kalnitski said in the statement. WorldNATO’s Enlargement Targets Not Only Moscow, But Ankara as Well, Turkish Media Says5 April, 11:49 GMTSwift Response-23 is comprised of three airborne operations, held by the European and US armed forces in Estonia, Spain and Greece. On Monday, US Air Force command in Europe said that a squadron of tactical stealth fighters F-22 Raptor had been deployed from Poland to Estonia’s Amari air base to “deter aggression over Baltic skies.”