Defence News

17 February (BNS)

The Baltic states intend to increase their contribution to the NATO air policing mission by more than 50% in the next three years after the alliance recently decided to extend the mission after 2014. The contribution of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to the mission amounted to 2.2 million euros in 2011, with the annual amount planned to reach 3.5 million euros by 2015, the Lithuanian Defence Ministry said. The Baltic states committed themselves to boosting the support of host countries amid their efforts to secure extension of the air policing mission beyond 2014.

"The Baltic states share the costs incurred by the host country nearly equally. In 2011, the costs stood at about 2.2 million euros. Respectively, Lithuania's share is about 700 000 euros. The countries also agreed to gradually raise the annual outlays to approximately 3.5 million euros, which will be divided equally," the ministry said in response to a question from BNS.

The NATO fighter jets patrolling Baltic skies are deployed at the Lithuanian Air Force base in Siauliai.

According to the Lithuanian Defence Ministry, the plan is to expand the volume of services provided to allied contingents and fighter jets deployed at the air base – allocate additional flights of the Spartan transport aircraft for the deployment and re-deployment of air policing contingents, reimburse for the bulk of accommodation costs, set apart more funds for communications, utility and de-icing services, and compensate allies for part of the cost of aviation fuel.

Lithuanian Defence Minister Rasa Jukneviciene has emphasised that the costs incurred by Lithuania and the other two Baltic countries were significantly lower than the expense of purchasing fighters of their own. Lithuania also plans to purchase new long-distance radars for a smooth air policing mission.

31 May (BNS)

The chief of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, visited Patrol Base Wahid, where the Estonian infantry company ESTCOY-12 is based.

The purpose of the general's trip to the base on Monday was to get an overview of Operation Omid Haft, which started in central Helmand last week and in which the British Royal Marines of 42 Commando, ESTCOY-12, and an Estonian EOD team are all participating, military spokespeople said.

This was the coalition forces' commander's first visit to the patrol base of the Estonian contingent.

"General Petraeus was mainly interested in the transfer of security responsibility to Afghan forces and co-operation with locals," commander of the Estonian contingent Lt. Col. Anto Kergand said. "The general received a first-hand and objective account of the ongoing operation and the situation in one of Afghanistan's most troubled provinces."

Petraeus acknowledged the Estonian troops and presented company chief Maj. Martin Kukk and Senior Warrant Officer Rauno Koivistonen with his personal commemorative coins.

The aim of Operation Omid Haft is to extend the ISAF-controlled territory in co-operation with Afghan armed and police forces.

In May ESTCOY-12 replaced ESTCOY-11, which recently arrived home. The Estonian contingent in Afghanistan consists of an infantry company, a support unit, a close protection team, an explosive ordnance disposal team, and staff officers.
 

9 November (BNS)

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are to set up a common command element to intensify their defence co-operation and Latvia and Lithuania will also participate in the Nordic Battle Group, it was agreed during a meeting of the three countries' defence chiefs on 9 November.

Defence Forces commanders Brig. Gen. Riho Terras of Estonia, Maj. Gen. Raimonds Graube of Latvia, and Lt. Gen. Arvydas Pocius of Lithuania signed an agreement in Kernave, Lithuania that sets out the establishment of a common command element and co-operation concerning military exercises in the coming few years, military spokespeople in Tallinn told BNS. In addition, Latvia and Lithuania made known their wish to join Estonia in participating in the Nordic Battle Group in 2015.

The common staff element will be established on the basis of the work groups that currently co-ordinate day-to-day defence co-operation between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The defence chiefs also agreed that they will start to co-ordinate their major exercises.

"As we are all NATO members, defence co-operation between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is a whole -- the allies see us as one region together with Poland and other countries situated on the Baltic Sea," Brig. Gen. Terras said. "That principle is observed both by the plan of exercises for the coming few years as well as future co-operation between different domains and headquarters."

The meeting of commander of defence forces will be followed by a meeting of Baltic defence ministers at the end of the year.

13 July (BNS)

On Thursday the Estonian infantry company Estcoy-14 closed the Limbang checkpoint located in its area of responsibility due to the improved security situation and handed the facility over to local people.

"Closure of the Limbang checkpoint shows that we have been able to ensure sufficient security through our activities and that we no longer have to keep an ISAF presence in that village, but rathercan rely on the local police and armed forces," said Maj. Eero Aija, commander of Estcoy-14. "Closure of Limbang gives us additional opportunity to operate in locations where the security situation is not so good and to squeeze out the rebels from where the coalition forces have not yet arrived."

The commander of Estcoy-14 added that the previous companies have done good work and managed to widen the security area, and the present company has maintained the situation. "Although we are closing Limbang, patrols continue to visit the area and support the local population and police to ensure security," Aija said.

Pioneers of the battle group took down all the fortifications at the control point and the property will be returned to the local people in the same condition as it was at the moment when the control point was built. The Limbang control point was built by the Estcoy-12 infantry company last summer.

Starting from May secure life to the local people is insured by Estcoy-13,  and the logistic support element NSE-13 supports it from Camp Bastion. At present there are nearly 150 members of the Estonian Defence Forces serving in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces.

11 August

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Olympic winner Gerd Kanter met today with six Estonian Defence Forces members who were seriously wounded in Afghanistan at the British Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court. "During these days, when we speak a lot about the great achievements of our Olympic athletes, we must not forget about those who hold high the honour of the Estonian flag on the battlefield. You are heroes who deserve the extensive support of the state as well as support and understanding from society as a whole," told President Ilves.

He thanked Great Britain, Estonia's ally in NATO's operation in Afghanistan, for offering modern and successful treatment and rehabilitation opportunities to our injured Defence Forces members. "This will considerably ease the lives of our injured soldiers and has also helped us to develop the required systems in Estonia," said the head of state.

President Ilves said that the Estonian Ministry of Defence is currently developing the basis for the "veterans' policy", which will serve to ensure the social acknowledgment and professional support of all our defence force members who have served in operations abroad. "Supporting a veteran and his/her family both before, during and after a foreign operation must be a shared concern of the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Forces – so that no one who has fought for Estonia would feel abandoned by Estonia later," emphasised President Ilves. According to the President, we should also consider increasing the compensation for incapacity to work that is paid to soldiers who have been injured in Iraq or Afghanistan. "Many of them continue to work in the Defence Forces; however, not all can do this," added the head of state.

Gerd Kanter, a hero of this year’s Olympic Games, encouraged our soldiers to move on with their lives with vigour, despite their injuries and perhaps even in defiance of their injuries. "You and I are alike, in ways – we both need lots of faith in ourselves, in addition to a lot of training and practicing, and then the third attempt will be successful," said Kanter. "I am proud that Estonia has soldiers like you."

President Ilves and Gerd Kanter, a former Olympic gold medallist in the discus who won a bronze medal at the London Olympic games, gave sweatshirts of the Estonian Olympic team to the Estonian Defence Force members.

Approximately 2 300 Estonian Defence Forces members have taken part in the foreign operations of the Defence Forces since 1995. One hundred and thirty soldiers have been wounded in action, 34 seriously.

17 February (BNS)

Estonia's volunteer corps the Kaitseliit (Defense League) is celebrating the 22nd anniversary of its reestablishment on Friday. To mark the occasion, Kaitseliit commander Lt. Col. Raivo Lumiste and the chief of the women's corps Airi Neve will announce the names of the members of the year at the Kaitseliit school at Alu manor in Rapla County.

The Kaitseliit and women's corps members of the year are being selected for the second time, the organisation said. The best members will be greeted by Defence Minister Mart Laar and defence chief Brig. Gen. Riho Terras.

17 February marks the passing of 22 years since the reestablishment by citizens' initiative of the voluntary defence organisation that had been disbanded by the Soviet regime. Estonia was at that time still part of the former Soviet Union.

17 January (BNS)

Estonian soldiers stationed in southern Afghanistan found 10 homemade bombs and 17 caches of illegal weapons, ammunition, and bomb-making materials in the course of a recent operation. The stashes discovered during the operation contained, among other things, 52 pressure plates for triggering improvised explosive devices, components of home-made bombs, an RPG, handguns, and ammunition.

"If the illegal weapons and ammunition found by the Estonian company were translated into human lives we probably managed to save the life and health of one hundred people or so, which to my mind is a remarkable achievement," the chief of the Estonian infantry company ESTCOY-13, Maj. Kaido Kivistik, was quoted as saying by military spokespeople in Tallinn. Kivistik said the caches were located in a safe haven of anti-government insurgents from which they launched attacks against Estonian troops as well as the neighbouring battle group and whey stored war supplies.

Task Force Helmand commander Brig. Gen. Patrick Sanders described the Estonian company as unstoppable, bringing to light significant finds on an almost daily basis.

In the course of the ten-day operation that ended Sunday, the main road between Loy Mandah and Lashkar Gah, the capital city of Helmand, was cleared of explosive devices to enable people living in the neighbourhood to reach major settlements.

At the intersection of cleared roads, a newly formed local home defence unit established a checkpoint. "The formation of the home defence unit and launch of its activities in the local community have brought about a real change in locals' attitudes," Kivistik said.

Since starting service in Helmand in November, ESTCOY-13 has found 24 weapon caches and disposed of 53 IEDs. The Estonian Defence Forces have been participating in the NATO-led operation in Afghanistan since 2003.
 

10 January (BNS)

US Ambassador to Latvia Judith Garber has confirmed NATO's readiness to continue the air policing mission in the Baltic air space after 2014, when the current agreement expires.

In her meeting with the Latvian parliament's defence, interior affairs, and corruption prevention committee on Tuesday, the ambassador said that the plan will be approved during the NATO summit in Chicago in May.

One of the topics of the Chicago summit will be strengthening of NATO's capability and “smart defence”, including the air policing mission in the Baltic air space, which will be continued after 2014 although some organisational aspects will need to be revised. Attendees of the Chicago summit will also discuss the transition situation in Afghanistan and its implementation through close co-operation between NATO and the Afghan forces.

NATO fighters based in the Lithuanian air base in Zokniai have been patrolling the Baltic skies since 2004 when the Baltic countries joined the alliance. Different NATO member states have been taking turns performing the air policing mission -- so far the air forces of the United States, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey and Germany have been responsible for the mission.
 

30 May (BNS)

The NATO Cyber Defence Centre must be more closely connected to the NATO command line and duties, Estonian Defence Minister Mart Laar said at a meeting with members of the US Congress.

Laar found that the NATO ambition level in the cyber defence sphere should be higher. In the Estonian defence minister's opinion, NATO should not just focus on the protection of its own networks, but cyber defence should rather be treated in much wider terms. "If eight countries are represented in the NATO Cyber Defence Centre, then the question arises what the remaining 20 member countries are doing?" Laar said at the meeting.

The delegation headed by William Thornberry, deputy chairman of the armed forces committee in the US Congress, arrived in Estonia straight from Afghanistan. In addition to cyber defence, developments in that region were also discussed.
 

10 October (BNS)

Estonia plans to continue contributing the same number of personnel, or up to 170, to the operation in Afghanistan, Defence Minister Urmas Reinsalu said at the meeting in Brussels of the defence ministers from countries participating in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The Estonian minister said it was still too early to name the concrete time when the troops would be pulled out from Afghanistan, as it depends on the decisions of allies and how the authorities of Afghanistan are able to take over responsibility for the well-being of their country.

"We went to Afghanistan together, we will come out together as well. It is likewise important that Afghanistan be able to carry out necessary reforms and ensure its security by itself," Reinsalu said.

It is important to hand over responsibility for security fully to the Afghans by 2014, yet it is also clear that the ISAF countries will continue making their contribution financially and in training alike.

At present Estonia takes part in the Afghanistan mission within the limits established by the Riigikogu mandate, or up to 170 personnel. In addition four Estonian experts are working on the EU police mission and four police personnel as part of the NATO training mission in Afghanistan. Starting from this fall two Estonian helicopter pilots serve in the medical evacuation unit in Helmand province of Afghanistan and by the end of this year Estonia is planning to add a special operations unit to serve as part of the US units there.

The allies expressed their readiness to support the Afghan security forces in combat duties until the end of 2014. Most of the countries also promised long-term financial support to the Afghan security forces.

The Estonian minister was accompanied in Brussels by Commander of the Defence Forces Brig. Gen. Riho Terras and Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defence on Defence Policy Sven Sakkov.

29 November (BNS)

The Estonian contingent ESTCON-13 arrived back home from a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. They were brought home by a C-17 transport plane of NATO's Strategic Airlift Capability program that landed at Ämari air base. The soldiers were greeted by Defence Minister Urmas Reinsalu (pictured) and Commander of the Defence Forces Brig. Gen. Riho Terras.

Reinsalu presented the soldiers with medals for participation in international military operations and promised to place the veterans’ policy before the government next week for approval.

"With your brave and conscientious service in Afghanistan, you protected Estonia's security interests and defended the freedom of our nation and Estonia's independence," the minister said.

Terras presented decorations of the Defence Forces to members of the returned contingent. He stated that Estonian soldiers' understanding of the Afghans is one of the reasons why they are highly appreciated in Afghanistan. Thanks to good co-operation with locals, the security situation in the Estonian unit's area of responsibility has improved to a point where Afghanistan's own forces have started taking over responsibility in one part of the territory after another.

Last Sunday ESTCON-13 handed over responsibility to the new contingent, ESTCON-14, at Camp Bastion. ESTCON-13 chief Lt. Col. Margus Koplimägi highlighted at the handover ceremony Estonian soldiers' courage and efficiency and said they can be proud of their achievements.

The infantry company ESTCOY-14, which was deployed to Afghanistan in May, switched to Pimon patrol base from Wahid in August and its duties changed too: previously the principal duty of Estonian troops was to keep a specified area of responsibility, now the company acts as an operational unit.

During the six-month tour of duty, ESTCON-13 carried out nearly 650 patrols and conducted 24 operations. It was supported out of Camp Bastion by the logistics unit NSE-13.

11 December (BNS)

The staff ship Tasuja, which has served for five months in the NATO mine-hunting group, will Monday return to its home port. At the Naval Port the ship will be received by Col. Peeter Hoppe, active commander of the Defence Forces headquarters, and Commander Ivo Värk, the headquarters told BNS.

The Tasuja took part in three major mine hunting operations in Dutch, Danish and French waters, in the Joint Warrior exercise off the Scottish coast, and in internal exercises of the NATO mine-hunting group. Together with the mine-hunting group the Tasuja visited 12 ports.

The NATO mine-hunting group is one of four NATO naval units charged with supporting NATO operations at sea both in times of peace as well in situations of crisis. Of Estonian vessels, the staff and support ship Admiral Pitka and the mine hunters Sulev, Sakala and Admiral Cowan have earlier been taken part in the mine hunting group.

The 1973-established unit usually has up to seven vessels from the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, and from one of the Baltic countries.
 

6 July (BNS)

Until recently the port of Riga played the key role in the transit of NATO shipments to Afghanistan, but now an increasing number of containers are moving through the port of Muuga situated next to the Estonian capital Tallinn, Postimees said. The paper said that earlier the clear preference of the United States Transportation Command (US Transcom) for a starting point of the route of shipments in the north via the Baltic countries and Russia to Afghanistan was Latvia. Starting from 2009 until May this year, 36 185 containers with NATO transit goods have been shipped via Riga, 14 642 via Muuga and 3 985 via Klaipeda, Lithuania.

Looking at data for 2012 alone, the numbers are much more even, with Riga having handled 6 422 containers, Muuga 4 026, and Lithuania 1 635, Postimees said.

The commander of Transcom, Gen. William M. Fraser III, told Postimees during his visit to Tallinn at the end of last month that the individual shares of the ports of the three Baltic countries in Afghanistan transit had evened out and each country was getting one-third of the total shipments now. The general referred to the closure of its borders for NATO shipments by Pakistan, saying that adjustments had to be made when Pakistan made the move. "When that happened, changes had to be made in the arrangements of support. We expanded aerial shipments, combined shipments and shipments through the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), because there were volumes available there," he said according to remarks published in Estonian.

This week news broke that Pakistan has decided to reopen its transit route, which has remained closed since November 2011.

Gen. Fraser said in his remarks in Tallinn that under whatever circumstances the port of Tallinn is one of the locations through which the return of troops and equipment from Afghanistan to the United States will take place. The general said Transcom has carried out tests of such shipments and the third test shipment was en route at the time. "These two-way transit shipments have been going well," he said.

According to the general, mainly food, energy drinks, water and other similar supplies, classed as Class I supplies, have been shipped via Tallinn. For armaments and other more sensitive supplies, as well as time-critical supplies, "other methods" are used, said Fraser.

21 February (BNS)

NATO will conduct its largest collective defence exercise in the last ten years in the Baltic Sea region in the fall.

At Steadfast Jazz 2013, to be held in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, NATO response forces will train action in case Article 5 is invoked, the Estonian Defence Ministry said. The war games represent the alliance's largest exercise since the accession of the Baltic states.

Defence Minister Urmas Reinsalu stressed at Thursday's meeting of the NATO defence ministers in Brussels that even if the exercise does not take place on Estonian soil, it is of great importance to Estonia.

"At this exercise, defending Estonia in a situation where we have been attacked and Article 5 of the NATO underlying treaty has been invoked will be practiced. It's an opportunity to put collective defence to the test and it will help NATO prepare for all possible situations in all NATO regions," the minister said. Different NATO institutions as well as allied staffs are involved in preparation for the exercise, which Reinsalu said shows that awareness of Estonia's security concerns in NATO is much higher than a few years ago.

"The exercise also will help NATO better evaluate how Estonian domestic procedures would work in a crisis as other state institutions besides the Defence Ministry and Defence Forces will be engaged in preparation," he said.

The size of NATO forces participating in Steadfast Jazz will be determined during the spring. Estonia plans to contribute an infantry company as well as officers and civilian officials to the staff training.

The defence ministers also discussed exercises to be held in coming years so as to ensure the interoperability of NATO troops after the end of the Afghanistan mission.

Reinsalu presented the Defence Ministry's Cross of Merit III Class to long-time NATO officials Gordon Monaghan and Frank Boland in recognition of their contribution to Estonia's integration into NATO and work to strengthen collective defence capability.

14 June

At the conference on European Cyber Security Policy, Minister of Defence Mart Laar warned against the possibility of a large-scale cyber attack and called upon member states to engage in serious co-operation in order to prevent such an attack.

The Minister of Defence emphasised Estonia’s readiness to contribute to European cyber security and called upon partner states to take the threats coming from the internet as seriously as they take military deterrence. “If we take the possible damage caused by bombs and bullets seriously, then we should take just as seriously the hazards moving through the internet, because through the internet, the economy, energy security, and intellectual property of countries may suffer direct harm,” the minister said.

“The European Union’s current approach of cyber threats must be reconsidered. In the fight against cyber threats, an entity like the European Union is only as strong as is its weakest link,” added Laar.

The minister of defence gave the opening keynote address at the conference taking place today in Brussels, entitled “Shared Threats – Shared Solutions: Towards a European Cyber Policy”, the objective of which is to increase awareness of cyber threats in the structures of the European Union.
 

13 November

The National Defence Committee, which convened today in Kadriorg at the invitation of the President of the Republic, discussed the draft Veteran Policy developed by the Ministry of Defence to support the defence force members who fought abroad and their next of kin, as well as the 10-year National Defence Plan.

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves emphasised that Estonia owes consistent consideration, professional support and recognition to the Defence Forces members who have fought on the battlefield for the security interests of our country, as well as the men and women who have been injured during domestic military service.

Today, the Veterans' Policy that was introduced at the National Defence Committee by Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu involves several thousand people, as approximately 2 300 Estonian Defence Forces members have taken part in international military operations from 1995-2012. Eleven soldiers have been killed in action and 130 people have been injured, 34 of them seriously. Defence Forces and active Defence League members who have been injured in service in Estonia must be added to these figures.

"A well-structured Veterans' Policy that offers support to the current and former Defence Forces members and their next of kin is the state's duty to those who have stood for Estonia and Estonia's interests, often on the battlefield," President Ilves asserted. "I am pleased that, in addition to addressing the medical needs of the wounded, the Veterans' Policy is geared towards the re-training of veterans and helping them to continue their education, towards their ability to cope in a successful and sustainable manner."

Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu and Commander of the Defence Forces Brigadier General Riho Terras gave an overview of the 10-year National Defence Policy and President Ilves said that the plan concerned established realistic and achievable objectives for national defence in Estonia.

"We have grown smarter and have improved our ability to estimate the real expenses involved in creating the required military capabilities and for financing their maintenance for Estonia," said the head of state, in acknowledging our parliamentary parties who have helped national defence costs rise to two per cent of GDP. "The decisions adopted by politicians, officials and officers in charge of national defence in allocating this money must be accurate and substantiated, and the plans must be ambitious, yet realistic."

6 January (BNS)

The new commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Brig. Gen. Riho Terras made his first official foreign visit in this position to Latvia.

"The state of military national defence of our southern neighbour Latvia is of vital interest to us, as Estonia and Latvia have shared the same fate for centuries," Terras was quoted as saying by military spokespeople in Tallinn. "That's why I visited my Latvian colleague Maj. Gen. Raimonds Graube first."

The Estonian defence chief met also with Latvian Defence Minister Artis Pabriks. Speaking about Latvia's 12-year military defence development plan, both Pabriks and Graube expressed their resolve to continuously and systematically increase their country's defence spending, Terras said.

The Latvian defence leaders acknowledged that more attention needs to be paid to developing primary independent defence capacity and gave recognition to Estonia's national defence structure principles. Terras laid a wreath at the monument to Oskars Kalpaks, the first commander of the Latvian army, and visited the Adazi military base. The Adazi training ground is an essential training facility for the Estonian Defence Forces as well.
 

23 April (BNS)

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip recognised the contribution Defence Forces members make to Estonia's security in a statement on the occasion of Veterans Day, which was marked for the first time in Estonia on Tuesday.

"Our 95-year-old Republic of Estonia has never been as well protected as nowadays - we belong to NATO and the European Union, our allied relations are strong, and the Estonian state is investing 2% of its gross domestic product in defence so as to ensure our country's primary defence capability. Estonia's international standing is higher than ever before. This is an achievement our nation can take pride in," the prime minister said.

This achievement is largely due to the brave, well-trained and internationally valued members of the Defence Forces and their dedication to ensuring security, Ansip said. "The contribution of those men and women to strengthening Estonia's defence capability is invaluable," he underlined.

Veterans Day, which was celebrated for the first time, is an expression of the state's gratitude to the brave Estonian men and women who have reinforced Estonia's security on foreign missions far from home and who have sustained injuries while performing their difficult duties, the head of the government said. "We also will be remembering all those who have given what is most precious - their lives - for Estonia's freedom."

The prime minister also thanked the loved ones of soldiers, without whose support deployment on foreign missions would have been even harder, and called on all people of Estonia to show their gratitude and respect for veterans by flying the national flag.

19 June

At today’s meeting with General William Fraser, Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu said that in addition to reinforcing the alliance, Afghanistan transit was also stimulating Estonia’s economy. According to the minister of defence, the transit of supplies through Estonia since 2009 has reinforced our strategic partnership with the United States. “We hope that our straightforward and open economic system and, if needed, support from the state will ensure that the United States will continue to use Estonia as a channel to supply Afghanistan in the future as well,” Reinsalu said.

The minister of defence also pointed out the positive effect of the United States transit on the entire economy of Estonia. “The development of transport to Afghanistan has helped Estonian businesses achieve a stronger position on the container transport market in Central Asia,” Reinsalu added.

General Fraser also met with Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, who emphasised that Estonia’s finances were in good order and its economy on a more solid foundation following the reforms. Estonia’s defence budget level of 2% of its gross domestic product and co-operation with its allies in, for example, the area of air policing allow us to contribute our resources in Afghanistan and elsewhere. “For Estonia, Afghanistan remains a priority region of operation. We wish to be active alongside our allies and support NATO’s operations in Afghanistan. It provides us with the confidence that we, too, will be supported if needed,” Ansip added.

General Fraser is also meeting with Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Juhan Parts and Chief of the Defence Forces Brigadier General Riho Terras. A visit will also be made to Muuga Harbour, where representatives of Estonian Railways, the Port of Tallinn and Tallinn Airport will present Estonian transit opportunities. The United States Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) organises the global transport of personnel and supplies for the United States Armed Forces.

2 July

At his meeting today with the delegation of the US Congress that was visiting Estonia, Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu said that in order for the US military presence to be preserved in Europe, European nations, too, need to contribute to their own security. Minister of Defence Reinsalu and the eight-member delegation headed by Congressman Kevin McCarthy discussed issues pertaining to Estonia-US relations, defence budgets, security in the Baltic Sea region, and cyber defence.

According to Reinsalu, the US military presence in Europe must continue to be preserved in the future, as it has already provided 60 years of peace and stability for most of Europe. “To that end, however, European nations need to contribute to their security and increase their defence spending,” the minister of defence said. “Accordingly, Estonia has increased its defence budget to 2 percent of its gross domestic product, in order to ensure both its independent defence capability and its contribution to collective defence,” Reinsalu added.

Reinsalu also thanked the members of the US House of Representatives for the military aid that the US has provided to Estonia over the years.

10 April (BNS)

The Estonian infantry company serving in Afghanistan has been on standby since returning from leave but there have been no calls for it to leave the base in three weeks, the daily Eesti Päevaleht says.

The soldiers, who returned to the southern Helmand Province after leave in March, have been kept on standby at Camp Bastion but as there have been no requests for assistance from the Afghan security forces, the unit has not left the camp for weeks.

During March the troops underwent various trainings at the camp. The soldiers practiced shooting and received medical training, and armoured vehicle drivers honed their skills and serviced their machines.

The paper says this demonstrates that the situation in southern Afghanistan has improved. "It surely shows something that we're able to sit here on the base," Sgt. Hardi Heinsar said. "It's not been possible before."

The infantry company ESTCOY-15 started service in Afghanistan last November. In February the unit handed its area of responsibility over to the Afghan forces and left Patrol Base Pimon. Since then the company has been operating out of Camp Bastion as a manoeuvre unit of the battle group on the whole territory of Helmand province. The company will remain in Afghanistan until the end of May.

26 March

Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu and Commander of the Defence Forces Maj. Gen. Riho Terras opened the new Air Force radar station on the island of Muhu, which will be home to a new medium range air surveillance radar system, the Ground Master 403. Reinsalu said at the opening ceremony that high-quality air surveillance will increase Estonia’s defence capability and security.

“I am also very glad that the inhabitants of the island of Muhu have welcomed the construction of the radar station with classic island hospitality and I believe that the people of Muhu will also adopt as their own the Defence Forces personnel who will start working here,” said Reinsalu.

Col. Jaak Tarien, Commander of the Air Force, said the improved air surveillance will mean better early warning intervals in the event of a potential crisis. “High-quality air surveillance imagery is essential for NATO fighter missions as well as for the functioning of various air defence systems. The Muhu radar will also increase aviation safety in peacetime,” said Colonel Tarien.

Other participants in the opening ceremony were equipment manufacturer Thales-Raytheon Systems’ vice-president Dominique Simonneau, Secretary General of the Finnish Ministry of Defence Arto Räty, and Secretary General of the Estonian Ministry of Defence Mikk Marran.

The system about to be launched at Muhu radar station is a French-made 3D medium-range radar system, the Thales Ground Master 403. The radar can detect aircraft from 470 km away and at a height of up to 30 km. It is a mobile system, which can be relocated and set up again in the space of a few hours. A team of about 20 people will keep the radar station functioning – in addition to Air Force radar specialists, there will be a duty team of nine members, and several auxiliary facility maintenance staff.

A second radar system of the same type will be installed in 2014 in Otepää municipality in southern Estonia. The radar systems were procured under a joint procurement contract co-signed with Finland, under which the two countries purchased 14 systems. The large volume of the procurement meant Estonia had the opportunity to acquire two systems for the price of one.

The infrastructure for the functioning of the radar station was also established in 2011 and 2012 – a main building, auxiliary building, utility lines and fencing. The infrastructure was built by AS NCC Ehitus.

2 April (BNS)

Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Brigadier General Riho Terras embarked on a three-day working visit to Georgia on Sunday. Brig. Gen. Terras will give the opening lecture at the executive courses in national defence in Georgia, spokespeople for the Estonian General Staff said. The topics included in the lecture are national defence, building of statehood, and security challenges.

In the course of the visit the Estonian defence chief is scheduled to meet with the commander of the Georgian defence forces Maj. Gen. Devi Chankotadze, chairman of the Georgian parliament's standing committee on security and defence Givi Targamadze, First Deputy Defence Minister Nodar Kharshiladze, Deputy Defence Minister Andro Barnov, and the head of the NATO liaison office William Lahue.

Brig. Gen. Terras will also visit a military unit in Krsanisi.

6 February

Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu said today at a meeting with the visiting General Volker Wieker, the Chief of Staff of the German armed forces, that defence co-operation between Estonia and Germany has become significantly deeper in recent years. “Estonia’s vessel protection unit has gained invaluable co-operation experience serving with German naval personnel, protecting merchant ships from piracy off the coast of Somalia. Germany also contributes actively to the NATO Cyber Defence Centre in Tallinn,” said Reinsalu at the meeting.

The defence minister also thanked General Wieker for Germany’s contribution to the Baltic air policing mission. “The Baltic states’ airspace policing operation is one of the best and highest-profile examples of NATO collective defence. German fighters have been protecting Baltic airspace on five occasions already and there are few such countries who have contributed so frequently to the airspace policing mission,” said Reinsalu.

Reinsalu and Wieker also discussed Baltic Sea region security, the NATO Cyber Defence Centre, and the Baltic Defence College.

On his two-day visit to Estonia, General Wieker also visited the Ämari air base, met his Estonian counterpart Brigadier General Riho Terras, and laid a wreath at the foot of the Monument to the Estonian War of Independence in downtown Tallinn.

4 March (BNS)

This year the Estonian Defence Forces will carry out five major international exercises and operations. In the period from 11-27 May, the navy will carry out an international maritime operation, Open Spirit, in the course of which World War-period explosives will be sought out and disposed of, the Defence Forces headquarters told BNS.

In June the US European command will carry out the land forces exercise Saber Strike. From Estonia the Scouts Battalion, the Ämari Air Base, officers of the North-West Defence Area, and non-commissioned officers from land force units will take part in the exercise.

In June the logistics part of the biggest naval exercise in the Baltic Sea, BALTOPS, will take place in Estonia. In its course a logistics unit of US Marines with its equipment and machinery will arrive at Paldiski Port on board ships. Assemblage of the equipment and machinery and getting it ready for use will be taught at Paldiski.

From 27 June until 2 July the Baltic countries will organise the Baltic Host receiving country exercise at the Simulation Centre of the Tartu Defence College. In addition to people from military structures, representatives of civilian agencies connected with the reception of allied forces, Poland, a German-Dutch Corps, and the US European command will also take part in the exercise.

In November the NATO Naples joint command will carry out a NATO response exercise, Steadfast Juncture.

27 November (BNS)

Estonia supports Georgia's territorial integrity as well as the country's entry into the European Union and NATO, Estonian Defence Minister Urmas Reinsalu said at a meeting with the visiting Georgian Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Alexi Petriashvili.

Reinsalu emphasised that Georgia is observing the rule of law principles in its NATO and EU integration, spokespeople for the Defence Ministry said. The minister acknowledged Georgia's contribution to the NATO mission in Afghanistan.

Georgia's new government will stay on course for Euro-Atlantic integration, Petraishvili confirmed. He thanked Estonia for support, adding that continued smooth co-operation is essential.

30 May (BNS)

The Estonian mine-hunter Ugandi and the divers' team of the navy will take part in the biggest naval exercise in the Baltic Sea, Baltops 2011.

The exercise will start in Kiel, Germany, and the area of the exercise will be in the southwestern part of the Baltic Sea close to Bornholm, covering sea areas close to the shores of southern Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Poland, Defence Forces headquarters said.

During a two-week period, the Ugandi and the team of divers will exercise combat activities at sea in co-operation with the US and Baltic Sea countries' units and will carry out a mine-hunting operation in Polish coastal areas. In the preliminary phase of the exercise the crew will carry out shooting exercises.

According to Cmdr Igor Schvede, commander of the navy, exercising different combat activities in times of peace will make it possible to gather experience as part of the international defence network in order to effectively operate in critical situations. "Training together with allies in the biggest exercise in the Baltic Sea, in a situation that closely resembles combat operations, creates a foundation for effective international co-operation in times of crisis and of war," Schvede said.

The navy is taking part in the composition of the NATO mine-hunting unit and the Baltic mine hunting squadron, Baltron.

Baltops is the biggest annual naval exercise and has been organised since 1971. Land, naval and air force units from the United States and eleven Baltic Sea countries take part in the exercise, which will last until 18 June.

23 July (BNS)

The fourth Estonian vessel protection unit will Monday leave from Wilhelmshafen, Germany, for the European Union's anti-piracy operation Atalanta off the Somalian coast. Members of the ten-strong vessel protection unit have battle experience, some from Afghanistan, a spokesman for the Defence Force headquarters told BNS.

The Estonian unit whose, training lasted from 9 January until Midsummer Day, will be serving on board the German Navy frigate Sachsen. The final phase of the pre-mission training took place from 6-16 June in Germany. Capt. Mati Terve, head of the Navy General Staff, said that the training of the ship protection team was extensive and that the French called the Estonians not a vessel protection team but a special unit, because their training corresponds to the training of French special units.

Capt. Venno Slugen, commander of the vessel protection unit, said the team had been preparing for the mission for half a year and their training was very good. “It is our aim in addition to ship protection to do as much co-operation with them as possible, in order to learn from them and pass on our own experience,” Slugen said.

The first Estonian vessel protection unit went on an operation also with a German unit but the second and third teams served together with the French Navy.

The duty of the European Union's Atalanta anti-piracy operation is to protection of vessels moving in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somalian coast. The Estonian Navy has been taking part in the operation since the second half of 2010.

22 February (BNS)

Secretary general of the Ministry of Defence Mikk Marran presented recipients with crosses of merit of the Ministry of Defence on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.

The Ministry of Defence bestowed its Cross of Merit, 1st Class, on Gen. Mark A. Welsh, commander of US Air Forces in Europe, for his contribution to achieving an indefinite solution to Baltic air policing, and on former British Defence Secretary Liam Fox.

Crosses of merit and other acknowledgements of the Ministry of Defence were bestowed on a number of diplomats, municipal figures, officials, military personnel, members of the Kaitseliit volunteer corps, employees of the Defence Resources Board, members of medical evaluation panels, and co-operation partners.

The Cross of Merit of the Ministry of Defence was established on 24 February 1999. Coming in three classes, the Cross of Merit is meant to be awarded to persons in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the national defence of the Republic of Estonia and in building up and securing of national defence.
 

8 February (BNS)

On Wednesday NATO reached an agreement to extend the Baltic airspace-guarding mission which so far had a mandate till 2014. NATO ambassadors in Brussels formally agreed that it would be a long-term mission with regular reviews and did not set a final deadline. The Baltic states, for their part, pledged to increase their contribution. Estonian Defence Minister Mart Laar called the decision of the North Atlantic Council a "very good piece of news" and a "significant breakthrough”. "The goal of making the air policing mission from a temporary into a permanent measure has been achieved," Laar told BNS. In his words, the question of the future of the mission "was still up in the air even this year”.

Asked whether the number of member states participating in the mission will increase as a result of the council's decision, the minister said it might but that will not necessarily happen.

Thanks to the extension of the air policing mission, Estonia will be better able to develop deterrent capability and plan the development of its Defence Forces, Laar said.

Commenting on the Baltic states' pledge to shoulder a bigger part of the expenses of the mission, Laar said this topic has not been discussed directly but added that on top of direct expenses also the host nation support capabilities will have to be enhanced and investments made in infrastructure.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said to BNS that this is a “very wise decision” that will help ensure the security of the Baltic states and demonstrate the rational use of resources. “This solution for guarding the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is one of the best examples of the effective application of the smart defence concept,” he said.

"I warmly welcome today's decision by the North Atlantic Council to further authorise NATO air policing in the Baltic states with a continuous presence of fighters," the chief of the alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said in a news release. In his words, the mission "continues to demonstrate the Alliance's commitment to collective defence and solidarity for all its members”.

"Collaboration in air policing also exemplifies the kind of co-operation among allies that will become increasingly important in the future, as we reconcile our security requirements with budgetary realities. This is the spirit of smart defence, which I expect to become a guiding principle for NATO at our Chicago Summit in May," the secretary general said.

The NATO fighter jets patrolling Baltic skies will continue to be deployed in the air bases of the Baltic states, the Estonian Defence Ministry said.

"Our thanks are due today to those Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian officials, diplomats, and military whose hard work and efforts brought about this NATO decision," a spokesperson for the ministry quoted Laar as saying. "Estonia has jointly with allies taken a significant step towards increased security in the whole Baltic Sea region and credible deterrence." For residents of Estonia the NATO air policing operation is a visible sign of the alliance's presence, he said.
 

4 July (BNS)

The standby period of the Nordic Battle Group with the participation of Estonian troops that began on 1 January ended on 30 June.

"Military co-operation with the Nordic countries is mutually beneficial in terms of training and increases security in our region," head of the General Staff's operations department Lt. Col. Eero Rebo said. "At the same time this is a means for the European Union to support foreign policy efforts outside our region when necessary."

The Nordic Battle Group consists of Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Irish and Estonian contingents, with Sweden as the lead country and the largest contributor. The Estonian Defence Forces contributed a 51-strong unit of staff officers, a staff protection platoon of the Scouts Battalion, a support unit, a movement and transport co-ordination team (MOVCON), and a military police investigator to the completed rotation.

Estonia previously participated in the Nordic Battle Group in 2008 with a staff protection platoon, a close protection team, and staff officers.

The Nordic Battle Group is one of the eighteen battle groups of the EU. Battle groups of the EU are rapid response units of around 1 500 that must be ready for deployment to an area of crisis up to 6 000 kilometers from Brussels within 15 days. Two battle groups are on standby at any one time. A battle group must be capable of operating in the area of conflict for up to four months.
 

9 November (BNS)

British Brig. Gen. Rupert Jones, who is slated to take over as the next chief of Task Force Helmand in Afghanistan, said at a meeting with the leaders of Estonia's 1st Infantry Brigade and the Scouts Battalion that serving together with Estonians was a privilege for British commanders.

"We've trained together, fought and brought sacrifices together with Estonians," the visiting British brigadier general said according to remarks published by military spokespeople in Tallinn in Estonian. He said Estonian and British soldiers were bound together by mutual respect.

Brig. Gen. Jones said that while leading troops in war was an honour for every commander, to lead soldiers of a different nationality and to understand their background was a special advantage.

On Thursday afternoon, the next head of Task Force Helmand visited the 1st Infantry Brigade in the area of the north-western Estonian town Paldiski and observed at the training of ESTCOY-16.

In the morning he met with the Estonian chief of staff, Col. Peeter Hoppe, and the commander of the Army, Col. Artur Tiganik, with whom details of co-operation between British and Estonian units in Helmand, matters related to the handover of responsibility to Afghan security forces, and the exit from Afghanistan were discussed.

British officers appointed to lead Task Force Helmand customarily visit Estonia to get an overview of the company that will serve under them before the actual deployment. Heads of the UK-led task force have also visited Estonia after the end of the mission. This week, Maj. Gen. Ed Davis, commandant general of Royal Marines, met with the Estonian company ESTCOY-12 that served in Afghanistan in 2011. In October Brig. Gen. Patrick Sanders met with personnel of ESTCOY-13.

The Estonian Defence Forces have been taking part in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan since 2003 and the main Estonian unit has been deployed in the restless Helmand Province since 2005.

1 June

Mikk Marran, Permanent Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defence, met today with Claude-France Arnould, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, to discuss cyber defence, joint procurements and defence-related research and development. Arnould also met with Ingvar Pärnamäe, Undersecretary for Defence Investments, and visited the NATO Cyber Defence Centre in Tallinn.

According to Arnould, Estonia’s contribution at the European Defence Agency is highly valued, including in the area of cyber defence, where Estonia will be leading the European Defence Agency’s cyber defence working group in 2013. “Estonia has a clear vision of how to work with the European Defence Agency in the areas of cyber defence, joint procurements, and research and development. In the current economic situation, co-operation between countries in the area of capability development is becoming increasingly important,” Arnould said.

At the meeting, Undersecretary Marran said that improving awareness of cyber defence challenges was also important at a high political level. “Consequently, Estonia would like to propose that a military exercise in cyber defence be conducted at the ministerial level in the EU,” Marran said.

The European Defence Agency is interested in Estonia’s successful experiences in joint procurements, and intends to support member countries when new joint procurements are organised. Created in 2004, the main functions of the European Defence Agency are to facilitate capability development in Europe, further arms cooperation in the EU, strengthen the defence industry and technology base, and develop and coordinate the relevant research.

9 February

Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu has decided to sign a directive for dispatching two members of the Defence Forces to the European Union’s military training mission in Mali. An Estonian staff officer and senior non-commissioned staff officer will begin serving at the European Union mission headquarters in Bamako. Their duties will be to plan the training of and advise the Malian armed forces together with defence forces personnel from other European countries.

“By sending Estonian defence forces members to Mali we are defending Europe as well as ourselves,” said Reinsalu. “The instability in Mali poses a clear danger to the region as well as to Europe. Islamic extremists could take advantage of the turbulence and plan terrorist attacks on Europe. A self-governing, stable Mali is in all of our interests.”

The Estonian Defence Forces members are prepared to deploy as soon as the European Union makes the decision to launch the mission.

The decision to establish the mission was made by the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council on 17 January based on a request from the Malian government for assistance and mandate granted by the UN Security Council. The objective of the EU training mission is to support the building of the Malian armed forces and to help the Malian government to restore control over the country’s territory. To do this, four battalions of Malian armed forces will be trained. The Malian armed forces will also be supported in matters related to training and advice pertaining to military command, military capability, logistics support, and personnel administration.

The European Union training mission mandate will last 15 months and the size of the operation will be approximately 500 defence forces personnel.

The military training mission is part of the EU’s security and defence policy. The mission also supports the Sahel region strategy, in the framework of which the European Union has allocated funding for security projects in Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

The mandate for deploying Estonian defence forces personnel was granted by Parliament on 19 December, pledging to send up to five Defence Forces members to serve on the new NATO or EU operation staff. Along with the participation on the Mali mission, Estonian troops are serving on six foreign missions: the NATO ISAF peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, the NATO KSOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, the EU antipiracy mission ATALANTA in the Gulf of Aden, the European Union’s EUTM military training mission in Mali, the UN UNTSO military truce supervision mission in Kosovo and as part of the NATO Response Force.

2 August (BNS)

Estonian Defense Minister Mart Laar, who is now on a visit to the United States, discussed issues connected with cyber defence with Joe Lieberman, head of the Interior Security Committee of the US Senate.

At the meeting, the senator inquired about Estonia’s experience in the cyber defence sphere and the activities of the Cyber Defence League were spoken about at length, the defence minister said. "The United States, too, is actively dealing with cyber defence, but it has noticed Estonia's efficiency and dedication in that sphere," Laar said.

Lieberman said that Estonia was a model for other countries both by its democratic and economic reforms as well as in its work to build up e-governance and defence.

During his visit, Laar will also meet with representatives and leading politicians of US think tanks. USA-Estonian bilateral relations and defence co-operation, as well as the situation in Russia and cyber security, will be under discussion at the meetings.

"Co-operation with the United States is already very close but I believe that it can still be improved. It is good to see that in many spheres we are no longer in the role of receiver, but that of donor. Every congressman with whom I have met knows Estonia well for our contribution in Afghanistan and our soldiers are praised and recognised," Laar said.
 

29 September (BNS)

Estonia is gearing up to serve as host of NATO’s Steadfast Juncture 2012 computer-based crisis management exercise that will take place at the Ämari Air Base from 27 October – 8 November.

In the course of the exercise the readiness of the Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Naples to lead the NATO Response Force in 2013 will be evaluated, military spokespeople in Tallinn said. Estonia will serve as the host nation in the exercise and its tasks will be to prepare the reception of the headquarters and the logistical support headquarters of the joint force and provide for their activity in field conditions.

During the exercise the activity of the Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Naples and the troop components subjected to it in the planning and conducting of joint operations under Article 4 of NATO will be evaluated. The exercise will be based on an imaginary scenario and it will focus on achieving the capability of joint action between NATO units situated in different areas. Steadfast Juncture 2012 will be the first exercise in the course of which a NATO operations headquarters is brought to Estonia and operations led from the territory of Estonia.

The headquarters taking part in the exercise besides Estonia will be situated in Italy, the United Kingdom, and France, and the exercise will be controlled from the NATO Joint Warfare Centre in Norway. The personnel of the headquarters coming to Estonia will be made up of close to 300 staff officers and staff NCOs from different allied countries.

In 2013, Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Naples will become the Joint Headquarters for the NATO Response Force (NRF) for one year. Estonia's contribution to NRF 2013 will consist of a movement and transport co-ordination team, an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team, and a reconnaissance support team.

One of two operations level commands of NATO, Allied Joint Force Command Naples prepares for, plans, and conducts military operations in order to preserve the peace, security and territorial integrity of NATO member states and freedom of the seas and economic lifelines throughout SACEUR's area of responsibility and beyond.

The NATO Response Force is the alliance's primary military mechanism, the main purpose of which is the ability to provide a rapid military response to an emerging crisis, whether for collective defence or crisis response operations. The NRF is a highly ready, technologically advanced, joint multinational force made up of land, air, sea and special forces that can be quickly deployed on operations wherever needed.

16 March (BNS)

A senior staff non-commissioned officer (NCO) of the Estonian Defence Forces started service at the headquarters of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) in Bamako, capital of Mali, on Friday evening.

An Estonian officer started service at the same headquarters at the beginning of this month. The task of the Estonian military personnel is to plan training and advising for Malian armed forces together with personnel from other European countries, military spokespeople in Tallinn said. Estonia will send its personnel to Mali for two six-month tours of duty.

The EUTM Mali contingent is planned at around 500 personnel including 170 instructors, 70 military at the headquarters and 250 troops in the base protection unit. The objective of the mission is to prepare four battalion-size units, each of about 650 personnel.

The Estonian parliament passed a resolution in December that allows up to five members of the Defence Forces orces to be posted to international headquarters of a NATO- or EU-led military operation.

The Estonian Rescue Board meanwhile is about to dispatch to Mali an expert of its Explosive Ordnance Disposal Centre (EODC) whose task is to train local specialists and ensure oversight of their work.

The mission is expected to last about three months. The Estonian expert will be working under the guidance of the Swedish civil contingencies agency MSB, spokespeople for the Interior Ministry have said.

The purpose of the humanitarian EOD mission in Mali is to train and supervise local bomb experts. Members of the team will not directly participate in the search for and defusing of explosive devices.

26 May (BNS)

The Estonian Estcoy-13 Infantry Company, the NSE-12 logistics support unit, and staff officers who served for more than half a year in Afghanistan returned home early Saturday morning.

During its six-month tour of duty, ESTCOY-13 carried out nearly 900 domination patrols in the course of which its members found and rendered harmless 78 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as well as detected 68 caches of weapons, ammunition, communications devices and components of IEDs.

The company served as part of two different battle groups and took part in three operations of Task Force Helmand, eight battle group operations and four operations of the Afghan army to squeeze the enemy out of areas that are gradually handed over to the Afghan security forces. The Estonian company had over 50 different fire contacts with the enemy and during the six months its operating area expanded to cover 70 square kilometers.

"Starting from the beginning of service of the company in early November, our area of operations grew more than tenfold and also the intensity of the service grew and the environment of operations became more complicated," the general staff reported Maj. Kaido Kivistik, commander of Estcoy-13, as saying.

At the ceremony of handing over responsibility at Camp Bastion, commander Brig. Gen. Doug Chalmers underlined the bravery of Estonian soldiers and their effective action. "As a result of your selfless work, the general security situation improved noticeably during the past six months in a region important for the whole Helmand Grouping," he said. "Estcoy-13 can be very proud of its achievement in the Loy Mandah village area."

The new Estonian contingent that flew to Afghanistan earlier this month is led by Lt. Col. Margus Koplimägi. ESTCOY-14, under Maj. Eero Aija, has taken over responsibility at Wahid patrol base and logistical support is provided from Camp Bastion by NSE-13, led by Capt. Rivo Aavel. In addition to infantry, a close protection team and staff officers from Estonia are serving in Afghanistan.

2 July (BNS)

The Baltic Host exercise simulating the reception of allied troops that was held in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania simultaneously in order to exercise military-civilian co-operation during the arrival of allied troops in a Baltic country ended on Monday.

The leaders of the exercise said at the end of the event that the Baltic countries are capable of receiving allies and ensuring smooth movement of troops and equipment when necessary, spokespeople for the Defence Forces headquarters in Tallinn said. "The series of exercises that has ended showed that should units of allies arrive in the Baltic countries, there will be no obstacles to receiving them," said the head of the exercise, Col. Ants Kiviselg.

"Baltic Host highlighted situations where countries and their institutions must rapidly co-ordinate their actions. For instance, when we need to decide how to involve representatives of other institutions in supporting the actions of the Defence Forces, if necessary. That requires good knowledge of each others' principles of work and areas of responsibility," he said.

The chief of the logistics headquarters of the German-Dutch corps that took part in the exercise, Brig. Gen. Philippe Lesimple, described Baltic Host as valuable experience for alliance units. He said the experience was necessary because in 2013 the corps will embark on the international operation in Afghanistan and in the exercise the logistics headquarters were able to train the arrival of the main forces in the operation area.

In the course of six days personnel from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the German-Dutch corps, multi-national headquarters and civilian authorities simultaneously went through routines in Tartu, Riga and Nemencine for acting in a situation where allied units are arriving in the country and tested the appropriateness of legal acts, agreements and co-operation procedures, military spokespeople in Tallinn told BNS.

In addition to Baltic military personnel, representatives from the police and border authority, the rescue authority, various ministries, the national health authority and Tallinn Airport took part in the exercise, along with military from Poland, Germany, France and the United States European Command. Altogether more than 300 people from seven countries and five multi-national headquarters took part.

Earlier exercises held this summer were Baltops, held from 4-23 June with the participation of the Estonian Defence Forces and Kaitseliit together with the US Navy and Marines, and Sabre Strike, which was conducted by the United States European Command in Estonia and Latvia from 11-22 June. Estonia has been the lead nation of the exercises held in the Baltic countries this year. In all the drills brought more than 2 000 troops from a number of countries into the Baltics.

23 April (BNS)

The Defence Ministry unveiled the symbol of support for veterans of the Defence Forces and the volunteer corps Kaitseliit (Defence League) chosen from among 31 designs submitted in the contest announced earlier this year.

A jury made up of veterans and experts picked designer Heino Prunsvelt's entry "Liverwort" as the winning design. "The jury agreed that out of the solutions offered, the liverwort flower (sinilill) is the most multi-layered and has the most generalisation power as a symbol of support for veterans," said jewellery designer Tanel Veenre, who chaired the jury.

Besides being worn as a badge, the symbol offers other opportunities to honour veterans, Veenre added.

Prunsvelt said the idea of liverwort flower as the symbol of support grew out of the Defence Forces cap badge he designed in 1992. "Liverwort flower makes an excellent symbol of support, being one of the few flowers that is in bloom in the wild on the Veterans Day, furthermore, every Estonian knows that flower," he observed.

The badges will be distributed at the Veterans Rock concert being held in Tallinn in return for a two euro donation for wounded veterans and their families.

13 February

The Ministry of Defence procured from Finland a limited number of additional launchers, training and maintenance devices, and spare parts for the Mistral SHORAD-system, as well as 23mm ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft cannons to be installed on Navy vessels. The additional launchers and spare parts for the Mistral-system arrived in Estonia this week; the 23mm anti-aircraft cannons were delivered in the summer of 2011.

The 23mm ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft cannons, purchased from Finland, are also used by the air defence units of the Estonian Army. The cannons are installed on special vessel platforms, which also allows for their use against surface targets as well as air targets. The procured cannons will be installed on the vessels of the Estonian Navy.

In addition, a limited quantity of launchers, training and target-finding simulators, testing equipment, and various special tools and spare parts for the Mistral SHORAD-system were acquired from Finland.

The equipment will be used to complement the Mistral SHORAD-system, purchased back in 2007, and it will reduce the training and life cycle costs of the existing system.

According to Undersecretary for Defence Investments of the MoD Ingvar Pärnamäe, the procurement concluded with Finland is a reasonable compromise between the high-quality equipment needed by the Defence Forces and a price that is affordable to Estonian taxpayers.

The weapons and equipment purchased from Finland were used by the Finnish Navy and were removed from their use in connection with the structural changes being introduced in the Navy. The contract also included the adjustment and maintenance of the equipment in Finland.

The total cost of the equipment was EUR 283 050; the exact number of weapons and equipment is confidential under the procurement contract.

5 April (BNS)

Thirty-one draft designs were received by the deadline for the idea contest announced to find a symbol of support for veterans of the Defence Forces and the Kaitseliit (Defense League) volunteer corps.

At the next stage, a jury made up of experts and veterans will pick the winning design, which will be presented on Veterans Day, to be celebrated for the first time on 23 April, spokespeople for the Ministry of the Defence told BNS.

The jury, headed by jewellery designer Tanel Veenre, will select the three best designs and a total of 3 300 euros will be distributed among the winners.

The proceeds from the sale of the symbol will be used to support injured soldiers and their families. The idea for a symbol came from the veterans, who were inspired by the British tradition to wear a red poppy as a symbol of support for soldiers, the press officer said.

The symbol concerns directly 2 500 men and women who have served on foreign missions or who have been injured in the line of duty or during Kaitseliit training.

A concert, Veterans Rock, at Vabaduse Square in Tallinn will be the highlight of the Veterans Day held on 23 April. On the same day several events in support of veterans will take place all over Estonia and the soldiers who fell for Estonia will be commemorated at a service in the memorial church of Estonian soldiers in Tori.

17 February

In an address given at the annual meeting of the Estonian Reserve Officers Association on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip thanked all reserve officers for the contribution they make to the development of national defence. “Thank you for dedicating your free time to our country’s defence,” he said. “You are an example to many in your everyday work and your service to the state. You also set an example for those currently doing their military service, and those who will do it in future – you show them that national defence is much more than just eleven months’ obligation, but something that lasts a lifetime: patriotism.”

Prime Minister Ansip said that the fact so many Estonians are so disposed to defend their country is largely the result of what the reserve forces do. “Every active reserve office unites civilian knowledge with military skills, and that represents a great deal of added value for the defence forces,” he said. “If we talk about major training exercises like the Spring Storm, they would not enjoy anywhere near the level of quality they have achieved without the involvement of the reserve forces. Officers among you have played a successful part in foreign missions, too, bolstering our defence capabilities and ally relations.”

In describing the current state of the defence forces in the country, Prime Minister Ansip said that there were signs of it coming of age, but that it had yet to achieve its full potential. “We have kept the promise we made to our NATO allies in raising spending on defence to 2% of GDP, but national defence in this country needs to be constantly reinforced and boosted, not merely maintained,” he said. “We have to remind ourselves, every day, that investing in national defence is not a luxury we can only afford when things are going well. Developing defence is a matter of urgency. If we fail to do so when times are bad, there may no longer be any good times at all.”

The Estonian Reserve Officers Association was founded by graduates of volunteer reserve officer courses from the Meegomäe College of the Defence Forces in Võru County on 22 June 1997. The mission of the organisation is to contribute to the organisation of national defence, to boost the readiness of the population to defend their country and to provide Estonian reserve officers with a channel to communicate with one another.
 

24 December

Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu sent a video greeting to soldiers serving in Afghanistan, wishing them a merry Christmas and a soldier’s luck for the coming year. “I wish you a merry Christmas. May it be as peaceful as it can be on the field of battle,” said Minister of Defence Reinsalu in his video greeting. “Serving far from home you have kept the reputation of Estonian soldiers high and you have served Estonia bravely. Thanks to your service abroad, the people of Estonia can celebrate around their Christmas dinner tables. We are all with you in our thoughts.”

The minister of Defence expressed his hope that the Christmas presents sent from home have already reached the Estonian soldiers in Afghanistan. The minister of Defence sent every fighter a cooked smoked sausage from Estonia.

In his greeting, Reinsalu spoke of the draft resolution for the new ten-year national defence development plan and of the Veterans Policy that was approved by the government just before Christmas.

“The Parliament has approved the national budget for 2013. From 1 April of next year, when the new Defence Forces Service Act enters into force, the salaries of all contract servicemen will be increased,” said Minister of Defence Reinsalu. “The biggest salary increase is meant for soldiers, non-commissioned officers and junior officers; meaning all those men and women who are serving Estonia on the battlefield.”

Speaking about the new national defence development plan, the Minister of Defence stressed its goal to increase Estonia’s actual military defence capability and the fire power of the Estonian Army, and to bring the Defence Forces to the next stage of development. The development plan foresees increasing the rapid response capabilities and the number of personnel of the Defence Forces, giving the National Defence League a leading role in territorial defence, as well as new armaments and equipment.

“I wish you a pause from operations for Christmas Eve, even if it is small one, and for peace at the Christmas table,” said the Minister of Defence. “I also wish you soldier’s luck, which every man and woman in Afghanistan certainly needs. We are thinking of you!”

The Estonian contingent serving in Afghanistan until the spring of 2013 is under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Toomas Möls. The infantry company Estcoy-15, under the command of Major Tõnis Metjer, continues serving at patrol base Pimon, supported out of Camp Bastion by the national logistic support element NSE-14 under the command of Captain Rauno Mäe. In addition to the infantry company there are also staff officers serving in the Estonian contingent in Afghanistan.

24 July (BNS)

The second team of surgeons from the Estonian Defence Forces to serve at the Camp Bastion field hospital in Afghanistan have returned home. The Defence Forces surgeon team dispatched to Afghanistan consisted of anaesthetist Maj. Lauri Kõrgvee from the Tartu University Clinic, general surgeon Major Jaan Tepp from the North-Estonian Regional Hospital, cardiothoracic surgeon Major Arno Ruusalepp from the Tartu University Clinic, orthopaedist Major Alo Rull from the Tartu University Clinic, and nurse Sergeant Major Karmen Maurus from the Tartu University Clinic, a press officer for the Defence Forces headquarters told BNS.

Before the beginning of their service the reservist medics passed a co-operation exercise with UK medics. During their three-month field operation the doctors and nurse worked together with Brits and Americans and received experience with dealing with battle wounds in the extraordinary medicine department and in the intensive care department. The team of surgeons started its service in Afghanistan this April.

Cardiothoracic surgeon Major Arno Ruusalepp said that the allies accepted their clinical decisions and highly valued their surgical skills. "In fact, generally the work in the team proceeded very well. Many decisions, in fact, were born listening to the doctors' opinions jointly and bearing in mind different experiences. I learned a lot and at the same time could share my clinical experience with my British and American colleagues," Ruusalepp said.

Col. Lt Margus Koplimägi, commander of the Estonian contingent in Afghanistan, recognised the surgeons' team for their dedication and passion in their profession.

26 July (BNS)

Members of the air forces of the three Baltic countries are honing their skills in maritime rescue in a three-day exercise that started in Latvia on Tuesday.

In the course of the exercise, titled Baltic Bikini, members of air crews will simulate actions in the event of an air accident and exercise collaboration in rescue between the air force and the navy, military spokespeople in Tallinn said.

Taking part in the exercise are 77 air crew members from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In addition to them, boats of the Latvian navy and the border guard as well as two Latvian helicopters are taking part, enabling the groups to carry out surface rescue.

Crew members will be training survival procedures in the event of landing on water. To ensure maximum authenticity of the training environment the exercise is held in open sea.

The first Baltic Bikini was held in Lithuania in 2004 and in the
following years the three Baltic countries have taken turns to host the event. It will be Estonia's turn to be host in 2012.
 

5 October (BNS)

The chiefs of staff of the Baltic states' defence forces agreed at a meeting in Kaunas, Lithuania that each state will contribute an at least 50-strong unit to the European Union's Nordic Battle Group in 2015.

The Latvian and Lithuanian chiefs of staff, Brig. Gen. Andis Dilans and Brig. Gen. Vilmantas Tamosaitis, assured their Estonian colleague Col. Peeter Hoppe that their countries will go along with Estonia's intention to assign at least 50 troops to the Nordic Battle Group in 2015, military spokespeople in Tallinn said.

The Nordic Battle Group is an international unit in which military from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania participate.

The chiefs of staff also discussed the outlook for making the study and teaching opportunities offered by the Baltic Defence College better known in NATO, EU and Nordic countries, and decided to continue supporting the Tartu, Estonia-based college with high-level speakers and experts.

It was decided in the meeting to hand a four-year plan for joint exercises to the three countries' defence chiefs. Questions of joint use of training grounds, co-operation in education and training, NATO's air policing mission, and progress on the Baltic mine-hunting squadron and other co-operation projects also were discussed.

The purpose of the meeting of the chiefs of staff is to prepare for the meeting of Baltic defence chiefs in Lithuania later this fall and the meeting of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian defence ministers at the end of the year.

2 July (BNS)

The three main priorities for the Estonian Defence Forces currently are personnel strategy, improving the service conditions of conscripts, and testing the readiness of the mobilisation system, commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Brig. Gen. Riho Terras told BNS in an interview. "Our first, main priority is to put in place our personnel strategy, a personnel operational programme," the commander of the Defence Forces said.

"We need to attach value to the individual, act in a manner centred on the individual, pay a worthy salary, set out a transparent and understandable career system so that we would be competitive as an employer, and make joining the Defence Forces and returning to civilian life as simple and convenient as possible for a person," the chief of defence said.

The second priority named by the commander is providing conscripts with living conditions suited for the 21st century all over Estonia. Terras specifically pointed out that the infrastructure of the Defence Forces in the capital Tallinn cannot be compared with the modern military compounds in Võru County, Tapa, and Paldiski.

The third priority in developing the Defence Forces is testing the functioning of the mobilisation and readiness structures. "We need to check how the structures of our reserve-based Defence Forces function in large exercises," he said.

3 April (BNS)

On Tuesday the NATO Military Committee chose Estonian Major General Neeme Väli for the post of first deputy chief of the NATO International Military Staff (IMS) and director of the policy and planning division.

Estonia put forward Väli's candidacy for the position of director of the policy and planning division of the alliance's international military structure at the beginning of this year, military spokespeople said. The director of the policy and planning division is simultaneously the first deputy to the director general of IMS, Lt. Gen. Jurgen Bornemann. The position is the most senior office in NATO that an Estonian officer has been chosen to fill.

Maj. Gen. Neeme Väli is currently Estonia's military representative to NATO and the European Union. President Toomas Hendrik Ilves last month promoted Väli to the rank of major general. Prior to taking up the appointment to NATO and the EU on 1 March last year, Väli served as chief of staff of the Estonian Defence Forces.

Promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 2009, Väli is the first Estonian officer promoted to general after World War II who obtained his military education in Estonia and in the military colleges and academies of EU and NATO countries.

Vali was born in 1965 in the central Estonian town of Paide. He graduated from the Law Institute of the University of Tartu in 2006. He was trained in Estonia, Sweden and Germany. Starting his service in 1990 as a company commander with the Kaitseliit (Defence League) volunteer corps, he rose to acting commander of the corps. Väli was appointed deputy chief of staff of the Defence Forces in 2006 and promoted to chief a year later. He has also served on NATO staff.

Väli's awards include the Order of the Cross of the Eagle, 4th class, the Order of the White Cross, 2nd class of the Kaitseliit, and the Badge of Merit of the Estonian Defence Forces.

19 March (BNS)

An Estonian vessel protection unit has been preparing pirate fighters from Burundi for the African Union mission to Somalia. The two-day training in Mombasa, Kenya, where the Estonian team participating in the European Union's anti-piracy operation Atalanta trained 25 Burundians, ended during the weekend, military spokespeople in Tallinn said.

"They seemed to be very motivated and eager. As this was merely a two-day training, in-depth instruction was not possible, but we passed on the basic principles of vessel protection and explained what it's all about. After the training provided by us they have to continue training on their own, which we urged them to do," said the chief of the third Estonian vessel protection unit, First Lt. Indrek Reinbach. "Burundi is not a maritime nation, therefore many trainees lacked previous sea experience but most of them were military," Reinbach added. Estonian ship protectors have previously trained military from Uganda.

On the first day of the training, which focused on the theory of maritime security, the Burundians were mainly told about the general situation in the pirate risk area, ship protection procedures, and combat rules. The second part of the training course involved practical training on a merchant ship on which the Buruandians will be serving later on.

The training was held in the framework of the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM). As protecting AMISON vessels is part of the Estonian personnel's duties during the overseas operation they also teach crews to protect their ships themselves.
 

1 November (BNS)

The Estonian government examined and approved six draft decisions of the Riigikogu that would extend the present foreign missions of the Defence Forces until the end of next year and permit the participation of up to five staff officers in the work of international military headquarters in an operation area upon the launch of a new international military operation led by NATO or the European Union.

The first of the bills would extend the mission of three members of the Defence Forces in the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) peace enforcement force until 31 December next year, spokespeople for the government told BNS. Estonia has been taking part in the NATO peace enforcement operation in Kosovo since 1999.

The second bill would extend the mission for up to 170 members of the Estonian Defence Forces in the international peace enforcement operation in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) until the end of 2013.

Units of the Estonian Defence Forces have been serving in Afghanistan since March 2003, when a six-strong explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team started service under ISAF. In February 2006 Estonian units started serving in Helmand Province as part of the British contingent and Estonia currently has approximately 150 personnel there. In addition Estonia has in Afghanistan the close protection team of its charge d'affaires as well as staff officers.

The third bill would extend the mission of up to three members of the Defence Forces in the UN-led UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organization) in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Syria until 31 December next year. Estonia has had its observers deployed with UNTSO since 1997, serving mainly in the territory of Israel and Syria.

With the fourth bill the participation of Estonian Defence Forces personnel in the NATO Response Force (NRF) would be extended until 31 December 2013.

The fifth bill would extend until 31 December 2013 the period of deployment of up to 15 Estonian personnel with the European Union Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta. Since the end of 2010 Estonia has contributed a ten-strong vessel protection unit to the operation, to which a few staff officers could be added in 2013.

Under the sixth bill it would be possible to use up to five Estonian personnel until 31 December 2013 in the work of international military headquarters situated in the operation area of a new international military operation led by NATO or the European Union.

Events of recent times, such as those in Libya, show that new operations launched by NATO or the EU could become a reality at any time in any region, such as the NATO operation Unified Protector. When an operation starts it is extremely important to man the positions of staff officers, spokespeople for the Estonian government said on Wednesday.

2 March

As of 1 March 2012, veteran career diplomat and one of the key architects of NATO enlargement, Matthew J. Bryza, will become the director of the International Centre for Defence Studies (ICDS). As the leader of ICDS, Bryza will oversee the Centre’s general management and develop the co-ordination and performance of academic research at the Centre. Martin Hurt, who has headed the ICDS since last summer, will continue as a member of the executive board focusing on the management of the Centre’s administrative affairs.

In January Bryza left the US Foreign Service, where his latest posting was the US ambassador to Azerbaijan (February 2011–January 2012).

Previously Bryza has served at the US State Department as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs (June 2005–August 2009) responsible for the development and implementation of US policy on the South Caucasus, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus and at the National Security Council as Director for European and Eurasian Affairs (April 2011–June 2005) tasked with the development and co-ordination of US foreign policy on the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus, and Eurasian energy security, acting in close co-operation with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. Bryza started his diplomatic career in 1989 at the US Consulate in Poland, Poznan, where he led the consulate’s contacts with the Solidarity movement. Later, he has also worked at the US embassies in Warsaw and in Moscow.

Lauri Mälksoo, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ICDS, affirms that Bryza`s appointment as the new head will definitely increase the Centre’s international clout and visibility.
 

16 October

Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu thanked General Wolf Langheld, Commander NATO Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, for developing collective defence while the general was in Estonia for a farewell visit.

The minister of defence complimented the general for the work that Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum has done under his leadership to strengthen collective defence and organise joint exercises. “The Steadfast Juncture 2012 exercise, being held at the Ämari Airbase in early November and Steadfast Jazz, to be held next year, are important, as NATO member countries will be practicing co-operation and command and control procedures. Estonia’s position is that exercises of this kind need to be held regularly,” said Reinsalu.

General Langheld gave assurance that he appreciated Estonia’s security concerns. “Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum will continue to be responsible for the Northern European region going forward,” said General Langheld.

General Langheld also visited the General Staff of the Estonian Defence Forces and met with Commander of the Defence Forces Brigadier General Riho Terras. General Langheld was presented with the Estonian Defence Forces’ Distinguished Service Decoration.

Allied Joint Force Command in Brunssum, in the Netherlands, is one of three NATO operational-level commands. Estonia is within the area of responsibility of Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum.

General Wolf Langheld has been serving as Commander NATO Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum since September 2010 and will soon hand over his post to his successor, Lieutenant General Hans-Lothar Domröse, German Military Representative MC NATO and EU.

26 April (BNS)

An international cyber defence exercise called Locked Shields ended in the Estonian capital Tallinn Thursday evening with NATO's Blue Team receiving the first place among the ten teams taking part.

The two-day exercise aimed to test the defence skills of IT experts under real-life conditions and also practise working side-by-side with different nations, spokespeople for the NATO Co-operative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence said.

"It is good to see that the Blue Teams have really prepared well for this year's exercise and the opposing team had to work a lot harder to keep the difficulty level high for the defenders," said Jaan Priisalu, leader of the White Team and director general of the Estonian Information System Authority. "This is a highly positive sign because it shows that the teams take the exercise very seriously and also that they are learning from the best practises and lessons from previous years," he said.

"The exercise has come a long way since the first event in 2008, and the fact that the teams are improving shows that the exercises do what they were developed for, namely train the IT specialists to work together and enhance their skills," said Col. Artur Suzik, director of the NATO Co-operative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. "I firmly believe that we owe the success of the exercise to our partners without whom this event could not take place and we are hoping to cooperate with all of them again for Locked Shields 2014."

At the end of the exercise, Jaan Priisalu was awarded the honorary title of senior fellow of the NATO Co-operative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence for his outstanding contribution to the centre’s technical exercises since 2008 and for his continuous support for the centre’s activities.

The exercise was organised by the NATO Co-operative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, the defence forces of Finland, the defence forces of Estonia, the Estonian Küberkaitseliit (Cyber Defence League) and the Estonian Information System Authority, with substantial technical support provided by Cisco, Clarified Networks, Clarified Security and Bytelife.

The ten Blue Teams were from Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Slovakia and NATO.

22 June

At a presentation given to foreign ambassadors and defence attachés today, Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu highlighted air policing in the Baltic States, large-scale training exercises in Estonia, and the adoption of the Defence Forces Service Act as the biggest achievements of the past six months.

In his speech, Reinsalu said that Estonia’s national defence equally relies on our independent defence capabilities as well as on the collective defence provided by NATO. “There have been several positive events related to NATO in the past six months that allow us to look with greater confidence towards the future,” said the minister of defence.

“The summit in Chicago gave us a clear signal that collective defence will continue to be the main activity of NATO in the future. In February, the Baltic air policing operation was extended for an indefinite time period. Moreover, a series of international large-scale training exercises is about to come to an end, which clearly demonstrates the commitment of our allies to the defence of the Baltic states,” said Reinsalu.

Reinsalu also highlighted the adopting of the new Defence Forces Service Act by the Riigikogu, as well as the increasing of the defence budget to 2 percent of the gross domestic product, as important achievements.

Biannual meetings by the minister of defence with foreign ambassadors and defence attachés residing in Tallinn have been taking place since 2009.

1 April (BNS)

A two-week training of the Estonian contingent scheduled to head to Afghanistan in May ended on Friday. The objective of the drills conducted at Sirgala in the north-eastern East Viru County was to evaluate the activity of the infantry company ESTCOY-12 and the logistics support element.

In the course of the training the troops reinforced field operations skills such as conducting patrols and action at checkpoints and in dangerous areas, reconnaissance skills, and communication with local residents, spokespeople for the General Staff said.

Scouts Battalion commander Lt. Col. Vahur Karus said the training differed from previous ones in that the company commander had more free reign. "This time we focused more on assessing the company commander's steps to resolve situations. We endeavoured to create a continuously developing and changing situation like in Afghanistan. The company commander and his men did very well and coped well with their tasks," he said.

The organisers built at Sirgala an area of responsibility and a patrol base resembling as closely as possible the situation in Afghanistan. The troops participating in the training practiced action in tactical situations most common in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand.

The training involved nearly 300 personnel from the Scouts Battalion and the logistics centre of the Defence Forces, an Air Force helicopter crew, and the tactical command centre.
 

1 February (BNS)

The commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, Brig. Gen. Riho Terras, met in Klaipeda, Lithuania with his Nordic and Baltic colleagues, with whom he discussed co-operation within the Nordic Battle Group, opportunities for supporting veterans, and activity in Afghanistan after 2014.

"Strong regional co-operation in defence will increase the security of all participating countries. Although both Nordic and Baltic countries work together in the framework of various operations and military alliances, co-operation with close neighbours has not lost importance," military spokespeople quoted Terras as saying. "It is in our interest to bind Baltic co-operation more closely with Nordic defence co-operation."

The Nordic and Baltic defence chiefs talked about contributing troops to the Swedish-led Nordic Battle Group of the European Union in 2015. The nearly 2 000-strong unit will be on standby in the first half of that year. Estonia has participated in the Nordic Battle Group together with Finland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden in 2008 and 2011. In 2015 Latvia and Lithuania will take part in it for the first time.

The defence chiefs discussed ways to support veterans within Nordic Defence Co-operation (NORDEFCO). NORDEFCO is the framework of Nordic co-operation in defence which the Baltic countries were invited to join in 2011. Denmark, which led NORDEFCO last year, gave an overview of the activity of the recently established veterans' centre.

The defence chiefs also discussed their countries' activity and possible co-operation in Afghanistan  after 2014 and possibilities for cyber defence co-operation with both military and civilian experts.

Commanders of the Nordic and Baltic countries' defence forces meet regularly once a year. The previous meeting took place in Sweden last year.

16 June (BNS)

In addition to the three international exercises this June and July there will be two more international NATO exercises in Estonia this year; one of them is a response forces exercise and the other a cyber defence exercise.

From 1-8 November there will be a Naples NATO Command response forces certification exercise called Steadfast Juncture, and from 13-16 November a NATO cyber defence exercise, Cyber Coalition, will be held.

Brig. Gen. Riho Terras, commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, said in an interview to BNS that in addition to the aforementioned exercises there will also be a big NATO exercise in the Baltic countries and Poland, the Brunssum Command NRF certification exercise Steadfast Jazz. The exercise, the activity of which will partly be carried in the Estonian territory, is larger in scale than Steadfast Juncture.

The Defence Forces commander added that the exercises now going on, Sabre Strike and BALTOPS, had been planned as regular exercises in this region. "Brisk exercise activity has been planned for a longer term," Brig. Gen Terras said. "Presence of the alliance in the region shows that NATO as an organisation regards all its areas as important," the brigadier general underlined.

The commander of the Defence Forces also underlined that international exercises gave allies information about this area. "They give the allies information about our country and about our national defence," he said.

Estonia is the leading country of all the three exercises that take place in the Baltic countries in June and July.

23 April (BNS)

Veterans Day, observed for the first time in Estonia on Tuesday, was celebrated by the troops serving in Afghanistan as well. The day kicked off with a lineup at Camp Bastion at which the fallen were remembered, military spokespeople in Tallinn said.

A somewhat festive lunch was followed by shooting and weightlifting contests. The servicemen will wind up the day with a barbecue and a quiz. If communications don't let them down, they will also be able to watch a live broadcast of the Veterans Rock concert to be held on Tallinn's Vabaduse (Freedom) Square later in the day.

In Estonia the day was ushered in by a veterans' shooting contest at the Männiku range in Tallinn. At noon a service was held at the memorial church of Estonian soldiers in the southwestern town of Tori and luncheons were held in honour of veterans at military units across the country. The celebrations will culminate with the rock concert scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Since 1995 Estonia has dispatched 2 300 defence personnel on missions abroad. They have served in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, Macedonia, Israel and Syria, Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Mali, the Gulf of Aden and the Mediterranean. In December 2012 the government approved the veterans policy of the Defence Forces and Kaitseliit (Defence League), which will increase the support given to almost 2 500 veterans and their families.

9 October (BNS)

Air force units of NATO allies are polishing their skills in mutual co-ordination and communication in an exercise that has begun in the airspace of the Baltic countries.

In addition to the Baltic countries, aircraft from the Czech Republic, Finland and the United States are taking part in the 13th BRTE exercise, military spokespeople in Tallinn told BNS. The drills focus on co-ordination between allied air forces and their communication capabilities. Of Estonian aircraft, an L-39 Albatross training jet is taking part in the exercise. On Tuesday a search and rescue exercise will be held.

The purpose of exercises of the BRTE series is to provide the surveillance and command components of the air forces of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with a regular opportunity to undergo training in co-operation in air defence joint procedures with allied air force units.

Baltic air policing exercises have been held since October 2008. The exercise is planned and led by Allied Air Command Ramstein.

3 October (BNS)

A JAS-39 fighter of the Czech air force landed at Estonia's Ämari Air Base on Wednesday in order to bring a Czech Air Force delegation to Estonia.

The aim of the visit is to get an overview of the accommodation and catering opportunities of the base, the maintenance hangars, and the fuel depot, as well as of opportunities for keeping armaments, a press officer for the Defence Forces Headquarters told BNS.

The NATO countries’ fighters that guard the airspace of the Baltic countries are based at the Siualiai airfield in Lithuania, but in special situations pilots can also use airfields of the other Baltic countries. To ensure the safety of a possible landing, the crews of the aircraft previously get acquainted with the possible reserve airfields.

The Czech air force took over the Baltic countries air space security mission from Poland on 31 August. The Czech Air Force use four JAS-39 Gripen aircraft for air space security.

The NATO member countries air forces have been guarding Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian airspace by rotation since 2004. Belgian, Danish, British, Norwegian, Dutch, German, US, Polish, Turkish, Spanish, Romanian, Czech, Portuguese and French air forces have taken part in the mission.

13 February (BNS)

Estonia considers cyber defense to be an essential part of the development of the European Union's military capabilities, Defence Minister Urmas Reinsalu said at a meeting of the EU defense ministers in Dublin.

During their two-day meeting in the Irish capital, EU defence ministers discussed the union's guidelines on defence that are to be endorsed by EU leaders at their summit at the end of this year, spokespeople for the Estonian Ministry of Defence said.

"For Estonia, development of the European Union's military capabilities is important, including in the field of cyber defence. In addition to military threats, our countries must also be ready for cyber attacks, the impact from which is just as evident and as dangerous," said the minister.

He said that achieving a good result depends on co-operation between the EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and the the European Defence Agency.

"From Estonia's point of view, harmonising the cyber security levels in the member states is paramount, so that there could be greater readiness for co-operation between the states and an international response in the event of a cyber incident," Reinsalu said.

The minister said he was pleased at the adoption of the union's cyber strategy, as it offers the opportunity to improve cyber security through common minimum requirements and standards. He said it was now important to see to it that the proposals made and the tasks set out in the strategy were carried out and the necessity of their implementation was taken into account also by the Council when it issues its guidelines to member states in defence planning.

Besides development of the EU's military capabilities, the topics discussed at the informal meeting of the EU defence ministers in Dublin included the situation in Mali and input to other multinational operations.

2 December

Next year, Estonia will hold the presidency of the Nordic-Baltic co-operation programme, which helps countries in the Caucuses and Balkans to modernise their national defence.

The programme, called the Nordic-Baltic Initiative, supports security sector reform in Georgia, Ukraine and the Western Balkan nations. These nations are also assisted in establishing civil control of their armed forces and in increasing their readiness for joining the European Union and NATO.

Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu said that next year Estonia wishes to increase the visibility of the Nordic-Baltic initiative. “The status of president will provide Estonia with a good opportunity to make the co-operation between the Nordic and Baltic nations even closer, and to identify new projects and partners,” he said.

“We can do much more in terms of sharing our experience in building our national defence with those nations for whom a number of challenges and reforms still lie ahead. That way, we will help to strengthen stability and security in the backyard of Europe,” Reinsalu added.

Estonia will be responsible next year for overseeing the work of the steering group of the Nordic-Baltic Initiative. Furthermore, through its presidency of the Nordic-Baltic Initiative, Estonia will administer the Southern Caucasus and Moldova roundtable, which organises defence co-operation with four nations: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova.

In 2012, the presidency of the Nordic-Baltic initiative was held by Sweden. Major projects this year have included a training programme co-managed by the Nordic-Baltic initiative and the UK for security sector officials in Georgia, a retraining and post-traumatic stress project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and support for regional training centres in the Western Balkans.

The Nordic-Baltic Initiative is part of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) co-operation format involving eight nations: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.