The Portuguese have brought their F-16 fighter jets to Estonia and will be stationed in the region for four months. This will be their second stint at Ämari and ninth in the NATO mission, following seven previous rotations in Lithuania.

Chief of Staff of the Estonian Air Force, Colonel Fredi Karu, thanked the Italian air force personnel for securing the airspace of Estonia.

Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur said 800 Italian personnel had taken part in the mission.

"At the most difficult moments of this mission, you proved that deterrence is not just a concept. It means a team, training and command decisions that function flawlessly even when a great deal depends on it," he said.

Pevkur welcomed the Portuguese, noting that the presence of a country from the other edge of Europe clearly shows what NATO unity and allied support mean.

Lieutenant Colonel Augusto Figueiredo said his unit is ready to contribute to the security of the Baltic region and to cooperate with allies to ensure the safety and protection of NATO airspace.

The air policing mission was launched in 2004 in Lithuania and later expanded to Estonia.

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