U.S. Air Force to patrol the airspace over Baltic statesDecember 27, 2013 - 21:26 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. Air Force will patrol the airspace over the Baltic states for four months starting from January, according to RIA Novosti. Four U.S. F-15C Eagle fighter jets will replace the current Belgian F-16AM Fighting Falcons on a rotation basis. A round-the-clock mission to guard the airspace over Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia has been conducted since 2004 when the ex-Soviet republics joined NATO. The three states say they do not have their own air assets to ensure safety and security of national and NATO airspace. Patrols have been carried out on a three- to four-month rotation basis by 14 NATO states, including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Poland from Lithuania’s first air base in Zokniai, near the northern city of Siauliai. Deployments usually comprise four fighter planes and between 50 and 100 support personnel. The three Baltic countries reportedly pay some $4 million per year to cover the deployment expenses. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |