TSAMTO, September 30. According to Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkura, following the results of budget negotiations held in the government, it was decided to allocate funds for the purchase of an intermediate-range air defense system, which will allow it to be put into service by 2025.
The Minister called the acquisition of medium-range air defense systems one of the priority projects and expressed satisfaction that he was moving forward to fill the gap in combat capabilities.
As stated, funds for the supply of the medium-range air defense system will be allocated during 2024-2027. In order to adopt air defense systems by 2025, Estonia must sign a contract for their purchase no later than the first quarter of 2023. The first deliveries should be completed by 2024. The exact amount of the budget for the implementation of the project will be determined during the procurement process.
The total cost will include the air defense system, the necessary infrastructure, training of personnel, auxiliary equipment and other related costs. Previously, the minister estimated the cost of the acquisition "at hundreds of millions of euros."
The purchase of medium-range air defense systems will be carried out jointly with Latvia. In June, at the NATO summit in Madrid, the Defense Ministers of Estonia and Latvia signed a protocol of intent on the joint purchase of medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems. In July, the Estonian Defense Investment Center (ECDI) and the Latvian Ministry of Defense signed a joint procurement agreement.
According to H.Pevkura, from the point of view of regional security, it is important that the two systems are compatible. This will make it possible to better organize air defense, reduce costs and jointly organize training, warehousing and logistics.
The Estonian Armed Forces have already prepared the requirements for the new SAM. When purchasing, first of all, military requirements and lessons of military operations in Ukraine will be taken into account. According to Major General Veiko-Vello Palma, it is important that the systems are mobile and have sufficient range.
The procurement process on behalf of the defense departments of the two countries will be carried out by ECDI, which has already conducted a comprehensive market research, compiled procurement documentation and published information on joint purchases with Latvia.
According to the representative of the center, the SAM will include launchers, radar and control points, as well as other components. The mobile system must ensure the defeat of aerial targets, including airplanes, helicopters, UAVs, cruise missiles and barrage ammunition, at ranges of at least 30 km.
During the market research, ECDI contacted six foreign companies from Norway/USA, Great Britain, England, Germany, France, Israel and South Korea.
As reported by TSAMTO, in order to strengthen the air defense of Latvia, on June 26, a NASAMS SAM battery from the Spanish Armed Forces was deployed at the base in Lielvard. Considering that this particular complex was purchased by the Lithuanian Armed Forces, there is a high probability of acquiring this SAM for the Estonian and Latvian Armed Forces.
