Three new barracks opened at Ämari Air Base

Three new living and work facilities have been completed at Ämari Air Base, which will accommodate conscripts and also include workspaces for active-duty personnel and utility and storage rooms. The barracks, with a total of about 15,000 m² of space, also improved hosting capacity for NATO forces.

Design and construction work began in November 2023. Besides building the barracks, we improved the Air Base’s infrastructure and expanded utility systems that serve the interest of the entire base and will allow the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) to plan additional buildings in the future.

Ämari Air Base has developed dynamically in the past two years. “In November 2024, the Ämari runway was reopened and in December, maintenance and training garages meant for performing daily maintenance on Estonian Defence Forces equipment and training needs were completed. Furthermore, the barracks being opened today will improve the hosting and training conditions significantly for our conscripts, active-duty personnel, and NATO allies,” said ECDI Western Portfolio Manager Steven Linkov.

The new barracks will cover the Estonian Division’s and Air Force’s training needs. “The staff of the Air Base has been housed in temporary quarters for nearly a year now, but now we can move into our new premises in a custom-designed barracks building. It is also extremely important for the Air Base that the accommodation capacity for allies improves and increases significantly, especially in light of this year’s Siil25 exercise approaching,” said the Acting Commander at Ämari Air Base, Major Pille Joala.

The chairman of the management board of Merko Ehitus, Jaan Mäe, said that the work was much more wide-ranging than merely constructing buildings. “The surrounding infrastructure and capacity of utility systems are very important for ensuring that active-duty personnel, allies, and conscripts enjoy comfortable living and learning conditions. In parallel to the construction of the barracks, a number of utility systems were established. We’re very grateful to ECDI and the units at Ämari Air Base, together with whom we managed to execute very large-scale and specific works within a short timeframe,” said Mäe.

In the construction sector, Merko does its everyday work to make it easier for Estonian conscripts, active-duty personnel and allies to do their everyday work. In December 2024, the defence minister of the Republic of Estonia recognized individuals who have contributed to the development of Estonian national defence. Among others receiving a silver chest pin from the Ministry of Defence was Merko project manager Martin Sigus, who received his decoration for his significant contribution to the development of Estonia’s national defence through the Ämari barracks project.

The Ämari barracks and expansion of the utility systems are now complete, and we continue working on the next sites for supporting the nation’s defenders!

Photo: Kermo Pastarus, RKIK