Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Ämari Airbase-Pskov Airbase. Panavia Tornado. 4K PC Gameplay.

The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multi-role combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany.[a] There are three primary Tornado variants: the Tornado IDS (interdictor/strike) fighter-bomber, the Tornado ECR (electronic combat/reconnaissance) SEAD aircraft and the Tornado ADV (air defence variant) interceptor aircraft.

The Tornado was developed and built by Panavia Aircraft GmbH, a tri-national consortium consisting of British Aerospace (previously British Aircraft Corporation), MBB[b] of West Germany, and Aeritalia of Italy. It first flew on 14 August 1974 and was introduced into service in 1979–1980. Due to its multirole design, it was able to replace several different fleets of aircraft in the adopting air forces. The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) became the only export operator of the Tornado, in addition to the three original partner nations. A tri-nation training and evaluation unit operating from RAF Cottesmore, the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment, maintained a level of international co-operation beyond the production stage.

The Tornado was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), Italian Air Force, and RSAF during the Gulf War of 1991, in which the Tornado conducted many low-altitude penetrating strike missions. The Tornados of various services were also used in the Bosnian War, Kosovo War, Iraq War, in Libya during the 2011 Libyan civil war, as well as smaller roles in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria. Including all variants, 990[1] aircraft were built.

Ämari Air Base was built between 1940–1952 under an agreement signed by the Estonian SSR and the Soviet Union. In 1945, the USSR Ministry of Defense established a naval reserve airfield of its Baltic Fleet there, where the amphibious seaplanes of the 69th Long-Range Reconnaissance Regiment Catalina PBY-5A and the escort fighter jets Yak-9P began to be based. It became the main airport for the units located in Ämari in 1952.

In November 1967, the 88th Aviation Regiment of Fighter-Bombers was formed at the airfield, remaining until August 1984, after which it was relocated to Kanatovo airfield, at Kirovograd, Ukraine. From 1967 to 1973 the regiment flew the MiG-17, from 1970 to 1980 - the MiG-21PFM, and since 1980 - the MiG-27D (K).[3]

In 1977, the 321st fighter-bomber aviation regiment was formed at the airfield. The regiment operated Su-7B aircraft. In 1987, the regiment was retrained on the Su-24 and transferred to the 132nd Bomber Aviation Division. In 1994, the regiment was disbanded at the airfield.

During the Vietnam War the base was a training facility for Soviet pilots to fly MiG-15, MiG-15bis, Mig-17 and MiG-19 aircraft before deployment to North Vietnam as "Military advisor pilots" and deployment to Arab countries during the wars against Israel. After 1975, the units replaced their obsolete MiGs for Sukhoi planes. Later, Ämari was home to 321 and/or 170 MShAP (321st and/or 170th Naval Shturmovik Aviation Regiment) flying Su-24 aircraft.[4] After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Air Force continued to administer the base until it was handed over to Estonia in 1994.

The Estonian Air Force Air Surveillance Wing was created in January 1998 and is located at the base.

After Estonia's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2004, the base was made NATO interoperable. NATO aircraft have been stationed at the base since 2014.[5]