VILNIUS, July 11. /TASS/. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Tuesday agreed to open their airspace to NATO military operations, signing a declaration to that effect on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
"The signed document is an important step to ensure the defense of our countries' airspace. Over the next few years, Lithuania plans to invest more than 140 million euros in developing the infrastructure of its airbase hosting the allied contingent," Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said after he and his counterparts signed the declaration.
The document provides that allies can use the airspace of the Baltic states without restrictions for deterrence measures, reinforced patrol missions and large-scale exercises.
The countries, which do not have their own air forces, rely on their NATO allies to defend their airspace. Since 2004, allied fighter jets have been based at the Zokniai airbase in Lithuania on a rotational basis. In 2014, Amari Air Base in Estonia was used as a second base for the mission.
Lithuania is pushing for the mission to change its status from patrol to combat. The so-called air police control the space above the Baltic countries and are not considered to be a military mission. With a combat mandate, the alliance's fighter jets could, in the event of a crisis, participate in military operations and be integrated into Lithuania's defense plans.