Defense Blog
Italy will deploy its long-range SAMP/T air defense system to Estonia later this year, the two countries confirmed in a joint statement issued during the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
The deployment will take place at Ämari Airbase, where Italian fighter jets will also begin patrolling Estonian airspace as part of NATO’s rotational Baltic Air Policing Mission.
“The deployment of SAMP/T to Ämari Airbase is a sign of the indivisibility of Allied security and underlines the Alliance resolve to safeguard Allied territory, populations and forces from air and missile threats, through a robust air and missile defense,” said Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto in the joint statement.
Estonia has been actively seeking partners for rotational air defense deployments. At the end of last year, Spain stationed its NASAMS system in the country. Pevkur emphasized that this form of cooperation mirrors NATO’s long-standing model for joint air policing and extends it into the domain of missile defense.
Pevkur stated that systems such as SAMP/T are “crucial for ensuring collective defense.” He also noted the additional value of the deployment: joint training for Estonian and Italian troops.
