The two United States Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles which arrived in Estonia on a one-day visit Wednesday took to the skies above Ämari air base, and also the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, accompanied by Estonian Air Force (Õhuvägi) jets.
The U.S. planes were in Estonia as part of Exercise Agile Liberty, headquartered in Poland, and had flown over from their unit's permanent home at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England.
The main aims of the exercise were short-range air support maneuvers, in conjunction with controllers, and the tactical management of air-to-air targeting, in cooperation with ground personnel at Ämari, ERR reports.
Such exercises are reported as useful for the U.S. military in determining readiness and capabilities, honing skills and gaining experience, while NATO allies in turn get experience in crisis response.
The Õhuvägi is operationally a part of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) and makes use of Aero L-39 Albatros trainer jets, among other equipment.
Other iconic U.S. planes to have been spotted in Estonian airspace in recent months include B-52 Stratofortresses, Rockwell B-1B Lancers and Bell Boeing V-22 Ospreys.
Source: ERR
