The Estonian Ministry of Defence will expand a military site in Sirgala to support additional training capabilities for warfighters.
The project will increase the current 2,790-hectare area by 178 percent to 7,759 hectares. The additional space will be claimed from state land.
Addressing Limitations
Located in the town of Narva-Jõesuu, the Sirgala training field has been operating since 2008.
Current services the site offers include live firing exercises for platoon-sized units, anti-tank weapons, heavy machine guns, and mortars.
The area also offers the environment necessary to demonstrate and train with armored vehicles.
Despite catering to tactical preparations, the location has insufficient clearance for mechanized units to conduct maneuvers.
The solution will address the restriction, enabling soldiers and their ground-based systems to move around while deploying firepower.
“There is enough state land surrounding the Sirgala training area in northeast Estonia to expand the training area as needed,” Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur stated.
“The extension of the Sirgala training area has been in the planning stages for a long time and is not coming as a surprise.”
Three Municipalities Covered
Throughout the initiative, the defense agency will renovate parts of areas under the municipalities of Toila and Alutaguse adjacent to Narva-Jõesuu.
All three municipalities will receive compensation from the government for disturbance following the expansion.
“We have done this through the normal planning process. I would like to thank all of the local authorities and residents, who are cooperating with us and are understanding,” Pevkur said.
“We will make use of the former oil shale quarry. No private property will remain within the expansion area.”
