Estonia plans to establish an industrial complex to enhance the local production of small, medium, and large calibers of ammunition.
The project aims to replenish Tallinn’s military stockpile and address its future ammunition requirements. Future products will also support foreign arms sales to allied countries.
The area will include basic infrastructure constructed by the state in addition to production facilities to be built by partner companies.
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur signed the park’s spatial plan proposal and corresponding environmental impact assessment on Wednesday.
“The European ammunition production capacity still remains at a lower level than necessary in the context of the changing security situation and the war in Ukraine,” Pevkur stated.
“For our part, we also want to create the preconditions for ammunition production in Estonia, so that both our own Defence Forces and our allies could buy ammunition produced in Estonia.”
A decision regarding the proposal is expected after 18 months. Work for the site’s initial bullet production will begin in two and a half years.
Location Options
According to Estonian Defence Industry Development Special Adviser Indrek Sirp, the park’s exact location is now being settled. Building rights will follow after the plan’s approval.
“The preliminary analysis has been completed and four areas in three municipalities – the Lääne-Nigula rural municipality, the Lüganuse rural municipality, and the city of Pärnu have been selected,” Sirp said.
“In the municipality of Pärnu, the planning area is located on the territory of the Audru and Tõstamaa municipal districts.”
Adding Explosives Production
Simultaneously, the defense ministry will arrange feasibility studies to incorporate the complex with capabilities supporting explosives production.
“Explosives production is essentially a chemical industry. It is likely to require many more resources, such as water and energy, than ammunition production. There is a major explosives production capacity shortage in Europe,” Sirp stated.
“If the feasibility analysis shows that it is economically and technologically viable, then we can find a location for an explosives plant in the course of the national designated spatial plan process, but it does not have to be in the same location as ammunition production.”