The Estonian Ministry of Defense has announced that its new development plan for 2025 to 2028 will focus largely on the procurement of weapons and ammunition.
Tallinn will spend nearly 30 percent of its defense budget — 1.55 billion out of 5.3 billion euros ($1.7 billion out of $5.7 billion) — to replenish its weapons and ammunition stockpiles, half a billion more than stipulated in the previous version of the plan.
Structure development for the new capabilities will also be a part of the initiative.
The replenishment efforts come amid Estonia’s ongoing military aid to Ukraine.
“Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine coupled with its ability to replenish lost materiel shows that we need to focus even more on the resilience of our troops and replenish both our weapons and ammunition stockpiles, as well as continue to support Ukraine,” Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.
Pevkur addd that Estonia will continue to provide long-term military aid to Kyiv, having reserved an allocation of 0.25 percent of the country’s GDP per year for the cause.
Specific Improvements
During the development plan’s implementation, the Baltic nation will upgrade its fire capabilities by creating a third mobile artillery battalion as well as mounting artillery guns on wheeled platforms.
An intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) battalion will also be established, creating a nexus for intelligence assets operating in Estonia for better situational awareness.
The ISTAR group will allow maneuver and support units to be deployed more sparingly and efficiently to help maintain the battlefield initiative.
Additionally, the upgrades of major capabilities detailed in the previous version of the development plan will continue. This includes new projects for Estonia’s HIMARS missile launchers, medium-range air defense systems, aerial offensive weapons, and mechanized maneuver units.