MOSCOW. Sept 3 (Interfax-AVN) - NATO bases near Russian borders, including those in the Baltic states, would be the priority targets in air superiority warfare if NATO resorts to aggression against Russia, says Army Gen. Pyotr Deinekin, the former commander of the Russian Air Forces in 1991-1998.
"As concerns the use of the Baltic states as airbases, this position is right from the aggressor's viewpoint. But those who give their consent to such an advance of NATO infrastructure eastwards should remember that these airbases will certainly be the first targets in air superiority warfare," Deinekin told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday in commenting on U.S. President Barack Obama's statement on preparedness to deploy U.S. Air Force units at an Estonian naval base.
Speaking earlier in Tallinn on the bolstering of U.S. military presence in Europe, including in the Baltic states, Obama said, "This initiative will include additional Air Force units and aircraft for training exercises here, in the Nordic Baltic region, and we agree with our Estonian allies that an ideal location to host and support these exercises would be Amari Airbase here in Estonia. With the support of Congress and our Estonian friends, I am confident that we can make this happen."