Türkiye is set to strengthen NATO’s air security presence in the Baltic region, with Turkish F-16 fighter jets scheduled to conduct round-the-clock air patrols over the Baltic states from August through November.

As part of the mission, five Turkish F-16 fighter jets and 76 military personnel from the 181st “Panther” Jet Squadron will be deployed to Ämari Air Base in Estonia, The Caspian Post reports via Anadolu Agency.

The aircraft will remain on constant combat readiness and respond to airspace violations and unidentified aerial targets.

The Turkish Air Force deployment will contribute to NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, which protects the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The mission was established specifically to safeguard the airspace of the three Baltic countries, which do not operate their own fighter aircraft.