TALLINN. July 13 (Interfax-AVN) - NATO exercises involving Air Force units of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and the United States will start in the air space of the Baltic republics on Tuesday, a source at the Estonian General Staff told Interfax.
The two-day exercises will practice joint actions of NATO Air Forces, protection of the air space and interaction of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with the NATO Integrated Air Defense System (NATINADS).
"The war game will simulate the response of aircraft crews and land-based units to combat situations," the source said.
Czech Gripen jet fighters and the U.S. C 130 cargo aircraft, which will arrive in Tallinn on Tuesday, will participate in the drill.
The Estonian control center in Amari and the Baltic control center based in Karmelava, Lithuania, will coordinate the practice and give directives to aircraft crews.
The drill will be held in development of the exercises of October 21, 2008, and April 7, 2009. The NATO Air Force staff located in Ramstein, Germany, gives the general guidance to the practicing servicemen.