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BOOST OF DETERRENCE ⟩ The United Kingdom Assigns Specific Brigade for the Defense of Estonia

Photo: Sander Ilvest / Postimees
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OCTOBER 17 - BRUSSELS. The United Kingdom assigns a specific brigade for the defense of Estonia and will deploy Challenger 3 tanks, among other equipment, on Estonian soil.

On the sidelines of the NATO Defense Ministers' Meeting in Brussels, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur and UK Defense Minister John Healey signed a bilateral defense cooperation roadmap. This roadmap outlines the joint efforts between Estonia and the United Kingdom for the coming years and long-term plans to strengthen the defense of NATO's eastern flank in Estonia.

"Defense cooperation between Estonia and the United Kingdom is becoming increasingly concrete. The roadmap we signed today is based on NATO’s new defense plans. One of the key points is the long-term agreement that the United Kingdom will designate the 4th Brigade to reinforce Estonia. This brigade will be maintained and developed in a high state of readiness in the UK to support Estonia in the event of a crisis or conflict," said Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.

Challenger 3 Main Battle Tanks will soon be maneuvering on Estonian military training areas.
Challenger 3 Main Battle Tanks will soon be maneuvering on Estonian military training areas. Photo: UK MOD

The Minister added that Estonia and the United Kingdom will continue working together to plan the pre-positioning of brigade equipment in Estonia. "I am pleased that under today's agreement, the United Kingdom will be sending its latest and most modern combat equipment to Estonia, including Archer self-propelled artillery, Boxer and Ajax armored vehicles, and Challenger 3 tanks," Pevkur noted.

According to the Minister, the development of the brigade also includes regular exercises to rehearse the deployment of the brigade to Estonia. For example, the next major exercise, "Hedgehog 2025," will involve the deployment of the designated reinforcement brigade to Estonia for training purposes.

In addition to the reinforcement brigade, the UK has permanently stationed an armored battle group in Estonia, which has been part of the Estonian Defense Forces' 1st Infantry Brigade since 2017 and will remain so. Furthermore, the UK is supporting the development of the Estonian division and its headquarters, not only by providing staff officers but also by appointing a UK brigadier general as the deputy commander of the division. The UK also advises Estonia on developing its long-range artillery capabilities.

Estonia, on its part, ensures the best possible conditions and infrastructure for the reception of allied forces, including exercise opportunities and logistical support. The roadmap also includes agreements for cooperation in joint procurement and opportunities for defense industry development.

During the NATO Vilnius Summit in 2022, NATO allies decided to bolster collective defense in the Baltic region. As part of this plan, they agreed to upgrade the allied forward presence in the region from battalion-level units to brigade-level units.

Estonia has taken a somewhat different approach to hosting allied troops compared to Lithuania. While Lithuania's government decided to permanently host a German brigade on its soil, Estonia's permanent military presence of allied troops will be limited to a battalion-plus-sized unit subjected to frequent force rotation. However, the currently assigned British 4th Brigade will be ready to rapidly reinforce the prepositioned troops in the event of a military crisis. One of the restrictions for Estonia has been the lack of sufficient training areas for exercising battalion level mechanized maneuver.

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