US Helicopters Land at Estonian Airbase as Part of NATO Drills - General Staff

© Flickr / UK Ministry of Defence / Cpl Neil Bryden RAFApache Helicopter Display at Royal International Air Tattoo 2014
Apache Helicopter Display at Royal International Air Tattoo 2014 - Sputnik International
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Four Apache AH-64 and two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters of the US army landed on Tuesday at the Amari airbase near Tallinn to participate in massive NATO exercises, dubbed Spring Storm 2017, the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces said.

TALLINN (Sputnik) — The helicopters arrived from Latvia, where they were deployed at the Lielvarde base as part of NATO's Atlantic Resolve operation.

"The drills have already started for the Estonian air forces, as since yesterday and till Wednesday they are practicing on the protection of the Amari airbase… The active part of air exercises will begin next week," Chief of Staff of Estonian Air Force Lt. Col. Toomas Susi said.

Estonian soldiers take part in an annual military exercise together with several units from other NATO member states - Sputnik International
NATO International Spring Storm Drills Begin in Estonia - General Staff

The Spring Storm 2017 drills, with almost 9,000 troops participating, are taking place in Estonia between May 8 and May 26.

Over 800 troops from the United Kingdom, who are part of the battalion deployed in Estonia, and about 300 French troops from this battalion participate in the drills. Germany sent about 400 troops and soldiers from Canada, Finland, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Ukraine and the United States also participate in the exercise.

Following the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis in 2014, NATO has been boosting its military presence in Europe, particularly in Eastern European states, citing Russia's alleged interference in the conflict as justification for the move. A decision of the Alliance to deploy four multinational battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland was announced by the Alliance's secretary general after the NATO summit in July 2016.

Moscow has repeatedly warned that amassing troops and military equipment on its borders is provocative, violates past NATO pledges, and can lead to regional and global destabilization.

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