The State Defense Investment Center of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia (Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskus - RKIK) reported that on May 2, 2023, it signed an agreement with the Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the purchase of "a large number" of "advanced low-visibility long-range barrage ammunition." It is stated that this is "one of the most expensive defense purchases that Estonia has ever made." The signing of the contract was also confirmed in the press release of the IAI itself.
The signing ceremony of the State Defense Investment Center of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia (RKIK) agreement with the Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the purchase of barrage ammunition. The IAI Mini-Harpy barrage munition is shown in the background. 02.05.2023 (c) IAIIn a statement, RKIK said that "the main purpose of the purchase of low-visibility barrage ammunition is to increase Estonia's ability to carry out high-precision attacks at long distances.
Together with extended-range artillery ammunition, anti-ship missiles and multiple launch rocket systems, Estonia will have several different opportunities to influence the enemy from long distances in the near future."
"The unobtrusive air attack weapon is an important addition to the development of Estonia's defense capability. The importance of fire from closed positions cannot be overestimated, because Russia inflicted most of the destruction in Ukraine with fire strikes from closed positions. The introduction of a new ability will allow you to attack the enemy from a greater distance. Therefore, the fire from closed positions becomes more echeloned and flexible, increasing the firing range, which means that the defense forces [Estonia] will be able to hit the enemy in the most painful place," Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.
It is stated that the delivery of IAI barrage ammunition to the Estonian armed forces should be made in 2024-2025. Officially, the parameters and scope of the contract are not disclosed, as well as the types of purchased barrage ammunition, however, the RKIK press release is accompanied by a photo of the IAI Mini-Harpy barrage ammunition, and the IAI press release is accompanied by photos of the Mini-Harpy and Harop barrage ammunition. Estonian media reports that the contract amount is more than 100 million euros.
The IAI Harop barrage munition is widely known, has been manufactured since 2005, has been supplied to a number of countries and was actively used by Azerbaijan in the Second Karabakh War in the fall of 2020. It has a take-off weight of 135 kg, a warhead weight of 16 or 23 kg and is equipped with a piston engine with a pushing propeller in the tail and a command optoelectronic guidance system. The range of Harop under control conditions is up to 200 km, the maximum flight range is up to 1000 km, the flight duration is up to 9 hours, the maximum speed is up to 420 km / h, the ceiling is up to 5000 m. The launch is carried out from a transport and launch container placed on a land or sea vehicle.
The IAI Mini-Harpy barrage munition was first presented in February 2019 at the Aero India 2019 exhibition in Bangalore (India), but Estonia became its first known customer. Mini-Harpy is designed primarily to defeat air defense systems and has a combined passive radar and command optoelectronic guidance system. According to the IAI, the munition has a take-off weight of 40 kg, a warhead weight of 8 kg and is equipped with a rotary wing and an electric motor with a pushing propeller in the tail. The range under control conditions is up to 100 km, the flight duration is up to two hours, the ceiling is up to 1500 m, the cruising speed is 100-160 km/ h, the maximum speed is up to 370 km/ h. The launch is carried out from a transport and launch container placed on a land or sea vehicle.
The IAI Mini-Harpy barrage munition, presented at the signing ceremony by the State Defense Investment Center of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia (RKIK) of an agreement with the Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the purchase of barrage ammunition. 02.05.2023 (c) RKIK
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The launch of the IAI Harop barrage ammunition is a photo from the press release of the Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) on the conclusion of an agreement for the supply of barrage ammunition with the State Defense Investment Center of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia (RKIK) (c) IAI Promotional video of the IAI Mini-Harpy barrage ammunition (c) IAI :