Herem calls for review of Estonia’s defence plan

Estonia’s next 10-year defence development plan needs changes to its air and maritime capabilities, Defence Minister Martin Herem told ERR. He said existing decisions should be reviewed in light of additional military advice from the commander of the Defence Forces.

The review would focus mainly on the next four years and consider what capabilities Estonia can develop with the available resources. Herem said the plan had been submitted by the Ministry of Defence in the spring, but the picture had since become clearer, particularly on air defence, following developments in the war in Ukraine.

Herem said Estonia must protect its maritime connections to the west, noting that 80 percent of the country’s trade travels by sea. He said Estonia should work with its allies to ensure those connections remain available.

On air defence, Herem said Russia had used low-cost cruise missiles, including jet-powered drones, over the past year. He said jet aircraft were among the most effective means of countering them, and that Estonia should consider whether to acquire light jets such as the Hawk or L-39, or look at unmanned jet aircraft.

Herem said the proposal was both realistic and potentially necessary, but Estonia would first need to assess its wider air-defence plans, available resources and how aircraft would fit into them. He also raised questions about where aircraft could operate during a full-scale war if runways were no longer usable.