NATO opens second Baltic air base in Estonia with 4 Danish fighter jets amid Ukraine crisis

NATO has opened its second Baltic air base in Estonia as part of the military alliance's increased regional air policing mission during the Ukraine crisis.

Estonia's military says four Danish fighter jets arrived at the Amari air base, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of the capital Tallinn on Wednesday.

The Royal Danish Air Force F-16 planes will patrol the skies of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for four months in coordination with NATO fighter jets stationed in Lithuania. After that, Germany will take over the rotational mission.

In an opening ceremony, Estonia's Prime Minister Taavi Roivas praised NATO's decision to deploy planes to the country, saying it will boost regional security.

NATO has carried out Baltic air patrols from a former Soviet base in Lithuania since 2004.