Estonian military. Estonian armed forces. Estonian defense army

Part 1.Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: fear of Russian aggression

The Armed Forces (AF) of the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) were created in 1991 after the collapse of the USSR, and in 2004 these countries joined NATO. The reason for the latter was the fear of Russia's military might and the potential emergence of a military threat from its side.

The leadership of the Baltic states in 2004-2014 proceeded from the fact that, given the countries' membership in the Alliance, trends in the development of the international situation and the strengthening of European security, there was no threat of an armed attack or other military action directed against the Baltic states. At the same time, they recognized the existence of dangers, in response to which these countries would be forced to use military measures. The main ones were:

- potential military dangers (a military threat to the Baltic states was not visible at that time, however, while large military groups were concentrated in the region and in neighboring states and threats and means of repelling them were understood differently, the likelihood of military confrontation existed);

- provocations, demonstrations of military force and threats of its use (there were states in the region, the documents concerning the security and defense policy of which provided for, and the military power made it possible to conduct military activities directed against the Baltic states and their allies);

- expansion of regional conflicts;

- terrorism (for the Baltic countries, this threat was rather external in nature and depended on the active participation of countries in the fight against it, conducted by international communities and organizations; because of this, the Baltic countries could become a potential target of international terrorism, and in the future, the possibility of a threat is not excluded domestic terrorism);

- proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their components and production technologies;

- massive cyberattacks that can be organized against important state and defense structures of the Baltic states, their control systems for economic and economic entities, information systems, and, in addition, can cause panic in society and affect the leadership and management of the Armed Forces;

- unstable states (due to the inability to ensure internal control and protection of national borders, they often become a refuge for groups that support international terrorism and organized crime);

- man-made disasters, natural disasters and industrial accidents;

- uncontrolled migration.

In this regard, the main efforts of the military leadership of the Baltic states were aimed at implementing measures to prepare the national armed forces, which are part of the NATO collective security and defense system, to be conducted jointly with the troops of the country's Mobile Defense Alliance and to fulfill international obligations. In accordance with the plans for reforming the Armed Forces, preference was given to small (several motorized infantry battalions), technically equipped and trained forces of constant readiness.

The armed forces of the Baltic states are doctrinally a key element in the system of ensuring their national security and the basis of defense, ensuring the inviolability and integrity of the territory of the countries, airspace and sea water area, participating in international operations, training personnel and reserves, contributing to civil defense. But in reality, most of these tasks can only be accomplished with the help of NATO allies.

The Baltic states have not acceded to either the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty or the adapted treaty. That is, the number of troops and the number of armaments of the Armed Forces of the Baltic states is not limited by international agreements, although in reality they were very small.

The current activities and development of the Armed Forces of the Baltic States were planned and carried out on the basis of the following laws: "On National Armed Forces", "On National Security", "On Military Service", "On Mobilization", "On the Status of Foreign Armed Forces", "On the Participation of the Armed Forces in international operations ”,“ Concept of national defense ”,“ Concept of national security ”,“ Mobilization concept ”,“ Fundamentals of ensuring the reception of foreign armed forces on the national territory ”.

The construction, modernization and reform of the Armed Forces were carried out taking into account long-term, medium-term and long-term plans and programs approved by the Minister of Defense.

In accordance with the constitutions of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The political and administrative leadership of the Armed Forces is vested in the Minister of Defense (civilian). Operational control of the activities of troops (forces) in peacetime and wartime is carried out by the commander-in-chief of the national armed forces through the joint (general) headquarters.

The tasks of the Armed Forces will include: conducting deterrent hostilities in border areas; destruction of enemy troops; defense of the capital and other strategically important objects of countries, incl. intended to receive NATO support forces (airfields, ports, transport communications). Infantry units deployed and staffed at the expense of reserve soldiers and militias are also called upon to provide short-term defense. Acting in small combat groups, they will blow up roads, bridges and other objects in areas where enemy troops are moving. In this regard, each unit is supposed to have engineering equipment and mine-explosive equipment, anti-aircraft defense and air defense equipment.

The main tasks of the ground forces are: protection of the territorial integrity and state system from external and internal threats; providing support to other types of aircraft; organization of interaction with them; education and training of ground forces and reserve troops; participation in international humanitarian missions, crisis management and military operations; rendering assistance to other law enforcement agencies and civil structures in the establishment and maintenance of public order; elimination of the consequences of natural disasters, man-made disasters, accidents and terrorist acts.

The Air Force is tasked with: protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries; airspace control and protection;
Air defense of important military and state facilities; aviation support of the Land Forces, Navy, special operations forces, border guard services and other formations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs provision of measures for operational and combat training of the Armed Forces; ensuring the safety of air transportation for the leadership and senior command personnel of the aircraft; transportation of troops, weapons and military equipment, cargo; fulfillment of international agreements in accordance with article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, participation in international operations and missions; ensuring the reception and air transportation of allied reinforcement troops; ensuring the activities of the NATO Allied Air Forces in national territories; aerial reconnaissance; search and rescue operations; performing special tasks for the benefit of ministries of health, social services and local authorities; supervision and repair of radio relay networks of MO.

The main tasks of the Navy are: protection of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries; protection of territorial waters and economic zones of states, ensuring the safety of maritime navigation and fishing, development of natural resources; fulfillment of obligations to NATO allies; participation in peacekeeping missions and operations, as well as in anti-terrorist operations; demining operations in the Baltic Sea; conducting marine reconnaissance; organization of search and rescue operations; antiamphibious defense of the coast; ensuring the reception of the Alliance reinforcement troops.

ESTONIA has an area of \u200b\u200b45,226 sq. km. The country borders on Latvia in the south (339 km) and Russia in the east (294 km)... The length of the land border is 633 km, the coastline is 1000 km. In the north, Estonia has access to the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea, in the south - to the Gulf of Riga.

The country's population is 1.259 million. (70% of Estonians, 25% Russians, 1.7% of Ukrainians, 1% of Belarusians, 2.3% of others).

Estonia had a GDP of 22.7 billion dollars in 2015, in 2016 - 23.5 billion dollars, its military budget in 2015 was 467 million dollars in 2016 - 503 million dollars in 2017 - $ 532 million

Attention to national defense in Estonia intensified in 2014, with the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. An additional airbase (at Amari) was provided by the country in 2014 for the current NATO air patrol mission, at a time when the Estonian leadership complained about the incursions of Russian aircraft into the country's airspace; the mission to protect it is likely to have some significance for Estonian security.

Conscription was reintroduced in 2015, and the Minister of Defense announced in 2016 that women would be able to serve in the armed forces from 2018. Defense spending increased in 2016, reflecting the view of all European countries bordering Russia that their security needs more attention.

Following the 2016 NATO Warsaw Summit, it was announced that a multinational battalion would be deployed in Estonia on a rotational basis. Infrastructure investments will further increase the country's integration into NATO, and a number of barracks were built in 2016 in preparation for the first rotational deployments as part of NATO's expanded presence. Estonia continues to develop its cyber security capabilities. Since 2011, it has been developing a cyber training ground (virtual environment for cyber training), and in 2014 NATO decided to establish a cyber training ground located in Estonia. There was further NATO investment in these capabilities in 2016.

Estonia is also a member of the multinational joint expeditionary force. The annual Spring Storm exercise was held in Estonia in early 2016. Estonian Special Forces units were deployed to Ukraine to train Ukrainian Special Forces teams as part of a US-led training initiative.

The number of aircraft 6.4 thousand people (SV 5.7 thousand people, Air force 300 people, Navy 400 people), defense leagues (territorial troops "Kaitsailit") 15.8 thousand people The draft is carried out for 8 months, officers and specialists - for 11 months. The reserves are read by 12 thousand people.

SV there are 2.6 thousand regular military personnel and 3.1 thousand conscripts.

The tasks of the ground forces include ensuring their constant combat readiness, organizing the country's defense on land and its vital strategic facilities, and participating in international peacekeeping missions.

The administrative organization of the SV included:

• 1st motorized infantry brigade(Half-disks): 3 b-na (Kalevsky motorized infantry, scout and logistic support) and 2 companies (headquarters and communications).
• North-east defensive area (Tapa): 2 b-na (Viru motorized infantry, engineering), 2 d-na (artillery and air defense), training center.
• Northern defensive district (Tallinn): 2 b-na (sentry, headquarters).
• South defensive district (Tartu): Kuperianovsky infantry battalion.
• Western defensive district (Parnu).

The operational organization of the ground forces includes:

• 1st Motorized Infantry Brigade:headquarters, 5 b-nos (2 motorized infantry, including Kalevsky and Viru, scout, engineering, logistic support), 2 d-na (artillery and air defense), 3 companies (headquarters, reconnaissance and communications). Infantry battalions are equipped with the XA-188 armored personnel carrier, the scout bn - the CV9035 BMP, the artillery battalion - with FH-70 howitzers, the air defense dr. - ZU-23 and Mistral MANPADS.
• 2nd motorized infantry brigade:3 b-na (motorized infantry Kuperyanovsky on the XA-180EST armored personnel carrier, engineering and logistic support), artillery dr. (Reserve, with D-30 howitzers), reconnaissance company.
• Military police includes a sentry bn.
• Central training ground.

NATO Battalion Tactical Group (BTG) in Estonia (Tapa) has 1,200 men under British command, incl. 800 British (mechanized battalion, Challenger2 tanks, BMP Warrior, SG AS90), 300 French (mechanized company, scouts, sappers, Leclerc tanks), 100 Hungarians (mechanized company).

Air force include headquarters (Tallinn), airbase (Emari, An-2 and L-39C aircraft, R-44 Raven II helicopters), air surveillance dr. (Emari, 1 TPS-17 radar, 2 Ground master 403). Amari airbase is now home to 4 NATO air patrol fighters.

Navy include the headquarters and the naval base (Tallinn), where the mine ships are based.

Special Operations Forcesinclude bn special forces.

Estonia has significantly developed the cybersecurity of its infrastructure since it was hit by a cyber attack in 2007. It adopted a national cybersecurity strategy in 2008, and in 2009 the cybersecurity council was added to the country's government's security committee. This council supports interagency cooperation at a strategic level.

Tallinn is organizing the NATO Cooperative Cybersecurity Center (CCDCOE), and the Locked Shields cyber exercises are held annually in Estonia, as has been the cyber coalition exercise since 2013.

The Cybersecurity Strategy 2014-2017 advocates greater integration of capabilities. It says that specialists from the Armed Forces and the Estonian Defense League will be an integral part of the development of military cyber defense capabilities. The recently adopted act of the Estonian Defense League directly integrates its cyber defense unit into the national defense system.

Armament of the Estonian Armed Forces is given in table. 1 and 2

Table 1

table 2

The Armed Forces purchased, or received as military assistance:

• Modern Swedish tracked infantry fighting vehicles CV9035NL from the Netherlands (have 35 mm cannon and additional armor).
• Less modern Finnish wheeled 6x6 armored personnel carriers (XA-180EST from Finland and XA-188 from the Netherlands, the latter with reinforced armor), Soviet BTR-80 (for training).
• Soviet D-30 howitzers from Finland and West German FH-70s from Germany (it is planned to purchase South Korean K9 self-propelled howitzers).
• Mortars (British NM95, B455, American M252, Soviet 2B11, Swedish M / 41D).
• Obsolete recoilless guns (Swedish Pv-1110 and American М40А1).
• ATGM (Israeli MAPATS, French Milan-2 and modern American Javelin);
• Anti-aircraft weapons (outdated Soviet ZU-23 cannons and modern French Mistral MANPADS).
• Old planes (Soviet An-2 and Czech L-39C), American R-44 helicopters.
• Minesweepers (Tasudja from Denmark type Lindormen and Admiral Cowan from Great Britain type Sandown).

LATVIA has an area of \u200b\u200b64.589 sq. km. It borders with Estonia in the north (343 km), Lithuania in the south (576 km), Russia in the east (292 km) and Belarus in the southeast (171 km) ... The length of the land border is 1382 km, the coastline is 498 km. In the west, the country has access to the Baltic Sea, in the north - to the Gulf of Riga.

The country's population is 1.966 million. (62% Latvians, 27% Russians, 3% of Belarusians, 2.2% of Poles).

Latvia had a GDP of $ 27 billion in 2015, in 2016 - $ 27.9 billion, its military budget in 2015 was $ 282 million in 2016 - $ 411 million in 2017 - 501 USD million

Like the other Baltic states, Latvia is concerned about Russian aggression against Ukraine. The backbone of the Latvian Armed Forces is mainly ground forces, oriented towards NATO standards, support for the deployment of the armed forces of NATO countries and partnerships with neighbors. A new concept of national defense was proposed in June 2016.

Investments in armored vehicles have provided the Latvian Army with new opportunities in the form of 123 used British tracked armored vehicles; their deliveries began in 2015. Latvia also purchased anti-tank vehicles and vehicles for the rear units. Latvia has pledged to increase its military budget to meet NATO requirements to spend 2% of GDP on defense. Long-range radar has been ordered to improve Latvian air defenses as part of a broader force modernization plan. In September 2015, the NATO Forces Integration Group was activated in Latvia, and one of the rotational combat battalion groups (led by Canada) will also be stationed in Latvia as part of NATO's expanded forward presence. During 2016, Latvia took part in numerous NATO exercises, including Anakonda 16 in Poland.

The number of aircraft 5.31 thousand people (SV 1.25 thousand people, Air force 310 people, Navy 550 people, other 2.6 thousand people, National Guard 600 people). Since 2007, the aircraft are fully contractual. 7.85 thousand people have reserves. (National Guard).

SV include motopinfantry brigade,having 3 battalions (1st and 2nd motorized infantry, support) and 3 companies (headquarters and communications, supply and transport, medical). Also in SV there is special purpose unit.

National Guard (Voluntary Territorial Defense Force "Home Guard")includes 16 cadre reserve b-nov (11 infantry, engineering, protection against RChBZ, 3 logistic support) and 2 d-n (artillery and anti-aircraft), combined into 3 regional commands (headquarters in Riga, Liepaja and Rezekne). First District has 5 b-new (4 infantry and logistic support), second district - 6 b-nov (4 infantry, protection from RChBZ, logistic support) and the 34th artillery division, third district - 4 b-ons (2 infantry, student, engineering) and the 17th anti-aircraft drone with L / 70 cannons.

BTG NATO in Latvia(Adazi) has 1138 people under the Canadian command, incl. 450 Canadians (mechanized battalion, reconnaissance platoon), 300 Spaniards (mechanized company, Leopard-2E tanks), 160 Italians (mechanized company), 160 Poles (tank company, RT-91), 50 Slovenes (RChBZ platoon) and 18 Albanians (sapper detachment).

Air forcehave the main tasks of controlling the country's airspace and limited air defense, search and rescue on land and sea, air transportation. The Air Force includes a transport squadron (with An-2 aircraft, Mi-17 and Mi-2 helicopters), an air defense dr. And a radar squadron.

NavyLatvia is intended to protect the territorial waters and economic zone of the country, ensure the safety of maritime navigation and fishing, participate in international operations, as well as in demining operations in the Baltic Sea. The Navy has a fleet of warships and a coast guard service.

The fleet of warships (Liepaja) includes: 2 d-nas (minesweepers and patrol boats), a surface monitoring service, a mine-sweeping weapons repair workshop. There is a diving unit in the minesweepers' department. The naval basing system includes basing points of Liepaja and Bolderaja.

The Coast Guard Service (Riga) is represented by the headquarters and the coordination center for sea search and rescue operations.

Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have organized a joint maritime part of BALTRON, which is based in Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils (Latvia), Tallinn (Estonia) and Klaipeda (Lithuania).

Armament of the Armed Forces of Latviais given in table. 3 and 4

Table 3

Table 4

• Obsolete British tracked armored vehicles CVR (T) (BTR Spartan, BRM Scimitar, KShM Sultan, BREM Samson, BMM Samaritan).
• Self-propelled howitzers (American М109А5О from Austria).
• Old Czech cannons K53.
• Mortars (American M252, British L16, obsolete Swedish M / 41D and Soviet PM-43).
• Obsolete Swedish Pv-1110 recoilless cannons.
• Modern Israeli ATGM Spike-LR.
• Swedish MANPADS RBS
• Obsolete Soviet aircraft An-2, helicopters Mi-17 and Mi-2.
• Obsolete Swedish anti-aircraft guns L / 70.
• Modern patrol boats Skrunda (German Swath type).
• Minesweepers (Imanta from the Netherlands like Alkmaar / Tripartite and Norwegian Vidar).

LITHUANIAhas an area of \u200b\u200b65,301 sq. km. It borders Latvia in the north (453 km), Poland (91 km), Russia (Kaliningrad region) in the southwest (227 km) and Belarus in the southeast (502 km). The length of the land border is 1273 km and in the west the country has access to the Baltic Sea (the length of the coastline is 99 km).

The country's population is 2.855 million. (84.2% of Lithuanians, 6.6% of Poles, 5.8% Russians, 1.2% of Belarusians).

Lithuania had a GDP of $ 41.2 billion in 2015, and $ 42.8 billion in 2016,

its military budget in 2015 was $ 471 million in 2016 - $ 642 million in 2017 - $ 805 million.

Armed Forces of Lithuania designed primarily for the defense of the territory of this country with limited forces and cooperation with NATO allies.

In early 2014, Lithuania, like the other Baltic states, expressed concern about Russian aggression against Ukraine. NATO support took the form of air patrols that began in the Baltic region. In March 2014, the Lithuanian parliament signed the Agreement on Foreign Policy, Security and Defense for 2014-2020, pledging to spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2020. The country's defense budget was increased due to this by more than 35% in 2016, and its further increase is expected to modernize the Armed Forces and strengthen defense capabilities. Additional military spending and a number of recent purchases have created more opportunities for the military.

In April 2015, the State Defense Council approved a new defense concept. It was decided to reform the structure of the ground forces with changes in the mechanized brigade and the creation of a new motorized infantry brigade. In July 2015, Lithuania and Latvia reached an agreement on the joint development of a new air defense system.

In March 2016, the country's national defense council resumed conscription. Vilnius also authorized the creation of a rapid reaction force to counter possible “hybrid” scenarios. In 2016, combat training intensified, including in an urban scenario, while the country's armed forces took part in regional exercises, including BALTOPS 16 and Saber Strike 16.

At the end of 2017, the Lithuanian government decided to transfer Soviet weapons and ammunition to Ukraine in the amount of up to 2 million euros. Incl. anti-tank weapons, St. 10 mortars, more than 80 machine guns, 7 thousand machine guns, up to 2 million cartridges, etc.

The number of aircraft 17.03 thousand people (Land Forces 11.05 thousand people, Air Force 1.1 thousand people, Navy 680 people, other 4.2 thousand people). Volunteer forces for the protection of the region 4.85 thousand people, paramilitary forces 11.3 thousand people. The call is carried out for 9 months. Reserves 6.7 thousand people (CB).

SV have 6.2 thousand personnel and 4.85 thousand conscripts.

In 2014, the ground forces included brigade-sized forces:

(Rukla) consisting of:

• brigade headquarters (Rukla, Yonavsky district);
• mechanized bn them. King Mindaugas, (Panevezys);
• motorized bn them. Grand Duchess Birute (Alytus);
• motorized bn them. The Grand Duke of Lithuania Kestutis (Taurage);
• artillery dr. General Romualdas Gedraitis (Rukla);
• bn material and technical support (MTO) them. Prince Vaidotas.

The brigade was formed in 1990.

included 5 prefabricated parts:

• 3rd im bn im. Samogit districts (Klaipeda);
• 5th im. Vitas County (Panevezhes);
• 8th named. District them. DJ Kova (Vilnius);

Separate divisions:

• dragoon training bn named after The Grand Duke of Lithuania Butigeidis (Klaipeda);
• 4 companies (special operations, pontoon, military-civilian cooperation, medical).

(Kaunas)

Now the ground forces already include forces of divisional size, including:

Mechanized brigade "Iron Wolf" (Rukla) consisting of:

• headquarters company (Rukla, Yonavsky district);
• hussar bn them. King Mindaugas (Panevezys);
• ulan bn im. Grand Duchess Birute (Alytus);
• mechanized bn them. The Grand Duke of Lithuania Algirdas (Rukla);
• mechanized bn them. Prince Vaidotas (Rukla);
• self-propelled artillery battalion them. General Romualdas Gedraitis (Rukla);

It was reported that an air defense battery, 2 companies (anti-tank and engineering), a repair and restoration bn and a military police platoon were added to the brigade.

Motorized infantry brigade "Samogitia" (Klaipeda) consisting of:

• headquarters company (Klaipeda);
• dragoon bn im. Grand Duke Butigeidis (Klaipeda);
• motorized infantry b-n them. them. Grand Duke of Lithuania Kestutis (Taurage);
• motorized infantry bn;
• artillery division;
• bn MTO and 2 companies (intelligence and communications).

The brigade is stationed in Samogitia in the west of Lithuania. She was transferred 2 motorized infantry battalions in Klaipeda and Taurage. During 2016, the brigade also included an MTO bn, reconnaissance and communications companies, and in 2017 a motorized infantry battalion and an artillery division were formed.

By creating a second brigade (motorized infantry), Lithuania will be able to more effectively conduct independent combat operations, participate in collective international defense events, ensure the reception of NATO allies' troops, and respond more quickly to threats to the country's sovereignty.

Light infantry brigade "Aukštaitija" (Vilnius) in the composition of 4 b-nos (3 reserve infantry and MTO), a reserve artillery battalion and 3 companies (headquarters, reconnaissance and communications). After deployment, it will have 4.5 thousand people. (79% are reservists).

The brigade began to form in 2017. It is created with the aim of bringing the structure of the ground forces in peacetime to the structure in the event of a conflict. This is necessary to make the SV reaction faster in case of potential aggression.

Volunteer Regional Defense Forces include 6 prefabricated parts:

• 1st im. Dainava County (Alytus);
• 2nd im. Darius and Girenas districts (Kaunas);
• 3rd im. Samogit districts (Klaipeda);
• 5th im. Vitis County (Panevezhes);
• 6th named. Prisikelis District (Siauliai);
• 8th named. District Didjoy Kova (Vilnius).

Engineering bn im. Jozas Vitkus(Kaunas)

The educational center them. Jozasa Luksha(Rukla)

BTG NATO in Lithuania(Rukla) under German command has 1,022 people, incl. 450 Germans (mechanized battalion, 6 Leopard-2A6 tanks, 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 12 Fuchs and Boxer armored personnel carriers, SG PzH-2000), 250 Dutch (mechanized company, CV-90 BMP, Boxer armored personnel carrier, Fennek armored personnel carrier), 200 Norwegians (mechanized company, Leopard-2A4 tanks, CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles, M113 armored personnel carriers), 100 Belgians (support company) and 22 Luxembourgers (support platoon).

Air force include the headquarters (Kaunas), the air base (Zoknyai near Siauliai, transport and helicopter squadrons, repair depot), the air defense division (Mumaychay, Radviliškis district), the airspace monitoring and control department (Karmelava).

On March 30, 2004, NATO air forces began patrolling the airspace of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (Operation Baltic Air Patrol). As part of the operation, 4 tactical fighters and a group of aircraft technicians (120 military personnel and civilian specialists) are permanently deployed at the Zoknyai airbase. Units of 14 NATO countries are involved in this operation on a rotational basis (for 6 months each country). F-15C, F-16C, F / A-18A, Typhoon, Mirage 2000, MiG-29 fighters were stationed at the airbase in turn. Since 2014, 4 more fighters have been deployed at the Estonian airbase Emari and the NATO air patrol has been increased to 8 aircraft. During the aggravation of the situation in the region (for example, major exercises of the Russian Armed Forces), the number of patrols usually increases to 16 fighters.

Navyhave tasks: protection of territorial waters, protection and control of the economic zone, search and rescue operations, search and disposal of mines, coast guard and protection of shipping. The navy includes 3 d-on ships (patrol, mine and auxiliary), 2 services (sea and coastal tracking, MTO), an underwater command and 2 centers (training and coordination - rescue at sea). Naval base - Klaipeda.

Armament of the Lithuanian Armed Forces is given in table. 5 and 6

Table 5

Table 6

The Armed Forces purchased or received as military assistance:

• Obsolete American tracked armored personnel carriers М113А1 / 2 (new German wheeled BMP Boxer is planned).
• Obsolete American M101A1 howitzers (modern German PzH2000 self-propelled howitzers arrive).
• Self-propelled mortars PzMrs from Germany (Finnish Tampella on the M113 armored personnel carrier).
• Mortars (Bulgarian M-60, American M19, Polish LM, Soviet PM-43 from the Czech Republic and 2B11 from Bulgaria, Swedish M / 41D, Czech M1982).
• Obsolete Swedish Pv-1110 recoilless guns.
• Modern American ATGM Javelin (self-propelled on HMMWV and portable).
• Modern MANPADS (Polish Grom, American Stinger, Swedish RBS-70).
• Transport aircraft (Italian C-27J Spartan and Czech L-410).
• Czech training aircraft L-39ZA
• Obsolete Soviet Mi-8 helicopters and modern French Dauph
• Patrol boats (Zematis from Denmark type Flyvefisken and Selis from Norway type Storm).
• Minesweepers (Suduvis from Germany like Lindau, Skulvis from Great Britain like Hunt and Jotvingis from Norway like Vidar).

The new armament of the Armed Forces is shown below.

BMP Boxer... Now Lithuania does not have full-fledged infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers with modern weapons. The ground forces have in service up to 70 units of obsolete M113 armored personnel carriers (the rest are in reserve). The contract for the acquisition of 88 armored combat vehicles (BMP and armored personnel carriers) was signed in August 2016, their cost is 386 euros. The first vehicles should be delivered at the end of 2017, all armored combat vehicles - by 2021. They will be equipped with 2 mechanized battalions of the Iron Wolf brigade in Rukla and Alytus. The base vehicle is German, and the turret is Israeli (with a 30mm cannon, machine gun and Spike ATGM).

Self-propelled howitzers PzH2000. In September 2015, Lithuania, whose ground forces had only obsolete M101 towed howitzers, signed an agreement on the purchase from Germany of 21 PzH2000 self-propelled howitzers, 26 M577V2 armored vehicles and 6 BPZ2 armored vehicles. The cost of the contract is 16 million euros, but another 40 million euros will be required to modernize the howitzers. There are already 4 howitzers in Lithuania, all will be delivered by 2019. Guns (16 units) will go to the artillery battalion of the Iron Wolf brigade, 2 units. - for training and 3 - for spare parts.

MANPADS GROM... An agreement on the acquisition of GROM MANPADS from Poland for up to 34 million euros was signed in September 2014. MANPADS is capable of destroying targets at a range of 0.4-5.5 km and at an altitude of 0.01-3.5 km. All MANPADS will be delivered by 2021.

NASAMS mobile air defense systems (2 batteries, 2 PU each) are purchased from Norway, the transaction amount is up to 110 million euros. The firing range of the air defense missile system is 2.5-40 km, the height is 0.03-16 km, but it cannot be used for missile defense purposes. These air defense systems are scheduled to be received by 2021 and based in Radviliskis.

Trucks Unimog U 5000... The contract with the German company was signed at the end of 2015. According to it, 340 Unimog U 5000 trucks worth 63 million euros are to be delivered to Lithuania by 2022.

The main geographic, demographic, economic and military indicators of the Baltic countries are shown in Table. 7

Table 7

Analysis of the defense capabilities of the Baltic states.

Estonia has a border with Russia 294 km, Latvia - 292 km, Lithuania - 227 km. These countries have a very small population (1.259, 1.966 and 2.887 million, respectively). Incl. 25, 27 and 5.8% are Russians, which favors Russian propaganda, the recruitment of agents and the organization of the "fifth column", and as a result allows creating a pretext for an invasion. The GDP of the countries in 2016 was small (23.5, 27.9 and 42.8 billion dollars), and the military budget grew in 2015-2017. from 467, 282 and 471 to 532, 501 and 805 million dollars (by 14, 78 and 71%). Lithuania has the largest GDP and military budget, that is, it has the greatest economic opportunities and spends more on defense than other Baltic countries.

Number Armed Forces of Estonia 6.4 thousand people (SV 5.7 thousand people), Latvia - 5.31 (1.25 thousand), Lithuania 17.03 thousand people (11.05 thousand people), territorial troops 15.8, 8.45 and 4.85 thousand people, reserves - 12, 8.45 and 6.7 thousand people. The largest air forces and ground forces are in Lithuania, the smallest are in Latvia. Lithuania has the largest Armed Forces among the Baltic States, since it has the greatest needs (located in the direction of a potential attack by the Russian Armed Forces to "break through the corridor" into the Kaliningrad region) and the greatest opportunities (greater GDP, military budget and population).

IN Estonian Army 2 motorized infantry brigades: the 1st includes 5 b-nos (2 mechanized infantry on the XA-188 armored personnel carrier, scout on the CV9035 BMP, engineer and MTO), 2 d-on (artillery with FH-70 howitzers and air defense with ZU-23 and MANPADS Mistral), a support company, and the 2nd is partially skimmed and includes 3 b-ons (motorized infantry on the XA-180EST armored personnel carrier, engineering and logistic support), an artillery dr. (Reserve, with D-30 howitzers), a reconnaissance company, in NE Latvia 1 motorized infantry brigade with 3 b-ons (2 motorized infantry, support) and support companies, in NE of Lithuania 3 brigades (mechanized, motorized infantry and formed light infantry). The mechanized brigade has 6 b-nos (2 mechanized on the Boxer BMP (planned), 2 mechanized on the M113 armored personnel carrier, MTO and repair), a self-propelled artillery division with SG PzH2000, an air defense battery, 5 companies (headquarters, anti-tank, reconnaissance, engineering and communications) , motorized infantry - 4 b-na (3 mechanized infantry on M113 armored personnel carriers, MTO) and an artillery division with M101 howitzers, 3 companies (headquarters, reconnaissance and communications), a light infantry brigade has 4 b-na (3 reserve infantry and MTO), a reserve artillery division and 3 companies (headquarters, intelligence and communications).

Lithuania has the largest number of brigades (2 and 1 are being created), fewer - Latvia (1). The disadvantages of the Baltic states' ground forces are the lack of heavy weapons in the brigades and their obsolescence, as well as the complete absence of tanks, MLRS, OTRK and SAM, a small number of infantry fighting vehicles and SGs. Motorized infantry brigades are equipped mainly with armored personnel carriers, mortars, recoilless guns and anti-tank systems, towed howitzers and MANPADS. Only recently in NATO countries were ordered in a small number of modern BMP (88 Boxer, 44 CV9035) and SG (21 PzH2000 and 12 K9). We can note the weakness of the air defense of the Baltic countries (provided only by MANPADS and old anti-aircraft guns). The advantages of the ground forces of the Baltic countries are the rational organization of brigades, the presence of a large number of mortars, the arrival of modern ATGM Javelin and Spike, a high level of training and morale.

NATO's tactical groups in the Baltic countries include a reinforced mechanized battleship: in Estonia -1200 people, up to 70 Warrior and VBCI infantry fighting vehicles, 15-20 Challenger2 and Leclerc tanks, up to 8 AS90 SGs); in Latvia - 1138 people, up to 70 infantry fighting vehicles LAV-III, Dardo and Pizarro, 15-20 tanks RT-91 and Leopard-2E; In Lithuania - 1022 people, 40 BMP Marder and CV-90, 20 armored personnel carriers Fuchs, Boxer and M113, 13 tanks Leopard-2A4 / 6, 8 SG PzH-2000. The stronger group is based in Estonia, while the less powerful group is based in Lithuania.

In total in these three groups there are 3.36 thousand people, St. 50 tanks, up to 180 infantry fighting vehicles, up to 20 armored personnel carriers and 16 SGs. To a small extent, this compensates for the weakness of the ground forces of the Baltic countries in these classes of weapons. But the main thing is that the forward deployment of NATO tactical ground forces in the Baltic states is a political factor in ensuring their defense. These small units (1022-1270 people each) must demonstrate NATO's readiness to defend these countries, warn Russia against attempts at aggression and determine the beginning of the invasion of its troops. In the event of a large-scale offensive by many times superior Russian forces, these NATO units will be defeated, but they will create sufficient grounds for a counterattack by the armed forces of the Alliance countries.

Estonian Air Force have 4 aircraft (2 An-2 and 2 L-39C), 4 R-44 Raven II helicopters (4 NATO air force fighters are also based there), Latvian Air Force - 4 An-2 aircraft, 6 helicopters (4 Mi-17 and 2 Mi-2), 27 RBS-70 MANPADS and 18-24 40-mm anti-aircraft guns L / 70, Lithuanian Air Force - 6 aircraft (3 C-27J Spartan, 2 L-410, 1 L-39ZA6), 6 helicopters (3 Mi-8, 3 AS365M3 Dauphin), 28 MANPADS (8 FIM-92 Stinger, 20 RBS-70); 4 NATO Air Force fighters are also based there. In total, the Air Forces of the Baltic States have 11 transport and 3 training aircraft, 16 helicopters.

The Lithuanian Air Force is larger than in other Baltic countries. However, the air forces of all Baltic countries are very weak (there are only light transport aircraft and helicopters), they have little aircraft, they do not have combat aircraft and attack helicopters, and air defense systems are represented by MANPADS and old anti-aircraft guns (Lithuania alone ordered 2 batteries of NASAMS air defense systems) ... The NATO air patrol (a total of 8 fighters) can solve air defense missions in peacetime, but in time of war it needs significant reinforcement.

Estonian Navy have 4 minesweepers, Latvian Navy - 6 minesweepers and 5 patrol boats, Lithuanian Navy - 4 minesweepers and 4 patrol boats. In total, these are 14 minesweepers and 9 patrol boats, i.e. there are navies of the Baltic countries are very small and can only solve patrol tasks in peacetime and sweeping - in wartime.

Estonian territorial defense troopsinclude 15.8 thousand people, Latvia - 8.45 thousand people and Lithuania - 4.85 thousand people They must ensure the protection of rear facilities, the fight against airborne assault forces and coastal defense. In the event of the occupation of these countries, they are entrusted with organizing the partisan movement.

CONCLUSION... After gaining independence, the Armed Forces were created in each of the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). They were very small and consisted of several regular SV infantry battalions and territorial defense units. The Air Force and Navy were minimal and had no combat aircraft or ships (only auxiliary).

When the Soviet troops were withdrawn from the Baltic states, they removed almost all of their weapons (in contrast to how it happened in the countries of the Caucasus). The Baltic countries did not have a military industry, so they bought it in the West (mainly in Sweden), or received a small amount of old small arms, mortars, recoilless guns and cars free of charge.

After joining NATO in 2004, the armed forces of the Baltic countries began to receive used and obsolete weapons of the Alliance countries (armored personnel carriers, howitzers, minesweepers, etc.). Rearmament was constrained by the small GDPs of the Baltic states, and, accordingly, their small military budgets. Therefore, some of the weapons were provided free of charge.

And only after the capture of Crimea and part of the Donbass by Russia in 2014, the Baltic states took serious care of their security. This is especially true for Lithuania, which is in the direction of a probable strike by the Russian Armed Forces, which may try to establish a land connection with the Kaliningrad region (and along the way cut off Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from NATO allies on land). The Baltic countries began to purchase (or ordered) more modern and even new weapons, incl. BMP (Lithuania and Estonia), self-propelled howitzers (Lithuania and Latvia), SAM (Lithuania). An increase in the size of the aircraft also began. But all the same, the Baltic Armed Forces remain small in number and have completely insufficient combat capabilities in relation to the military threat of the Russian Armed Forces. The Estonian Army has 2 brigades (motorized infantry and cropped motorized infantry), Latvia - 1 motorized infantry brigade, Lithuania - 1 mechanized brigade (a motorized infantry brigade is being formed and a light infantry brigade has begun to be created). Total by 2020-2021 in the Baltic states, it is planned to have a total of 6 brigades. But these brigades do not have tanks, MLRS and OTRK, the air forces of these countries - combat aircraft, attack helicopters and air defense systems, and the Navy is limited to minesweepers and patrol boats. That is, the defense capabilities of the Baltic states mainly depend on the assistance of the armed forces of the NATO allies. This assistance has so far been expressed in the deployment in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania of one reinforced multinational battalion group of the ground forces of the NATO countries and the basing in Estonia and Lithuania of an air patrol of 8 fighters.

In total in these three battalion groups there are 3.36 thousand people, St. 50 tanks, up to 180 infantry fighting vehicles, up to 20 armored personnel carriers and 16 SGs. To a small extent, this compensates for the weakness of the ground forces of the Baltic countries in these classes of weapons. But the main thing is that the forward deployment of NATO tactical ground forces in the Baltic states is a political factor in ensuring their defense. These small units (1022-1270 people each) must demonstrate NATO's readiness to defend these countries, warn Russia against attempts at aggression and determine the beginning of the invasion of its troops. In the event of a large-scale offensive by many times superior Russian forces, these NATO units will be defeated, but they will create sufficient grounds for a counterattack by the armed forces of the Alliance countries.

Yuri Barash,

member of the Expert Council at CIACR

The Estonian Defense Army is built on the principle of common defense, its tasks include preserving Estonia's sovereignty, protecting its territory, territorial waters and airspace as an integral and indivisible integrity, constitutional order and public security.

The functioning of the Estonian Defense Forces is based on the principles of civilian control and is linked to the democratic organization of the state. Democratically elected and appointed executive bodies make decisions on the use of the Defense Army and determine the appropriate goals, allocate the necessary resources and monitor the achievement of goals. The implementation of the principles of civil control is guaranteed by law and is entrusted to the parliament, the President of the Republic and the government of the Republic. In wartime, the Supreme Commander of the Defense Army is the President of the Republic, and the governing body is the National Defense Council, consisting of the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, Commander of the Defense Army, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Estonian Armed Forces in 1920-1940

After the successful end of hostilities, some of the soldiers of the People's Forces were demobilized, and the units gathered several times for military training as needed. In 1922, instead of the names of units borrowed from the Russian language (regiment, company, etc.), borrowings from Western European languages \u200b\u200bwere taken into use. In -1937, the Estonian armed forces were called Defensive troops, and since 1937 - Estonian troops (Est. Eesti sõjavägi).

The structure of the Estonian Armed Forces at the time of the state's accession to the USSR in 1940

Estonian national military units in World War II

As part of the Red Army

Incorporation of Estonian Armed Forces units into the Red Army in 1940

At the end of August 1940, the 22nd Estonian Territorial Rifle Corps of the Red Army was formed on the basis of the military units of the Estonian army under the command of the Estonian general Gustav Ionson, who was later arrested by the NKVD and shot. All soldiers and officers of the 22nd Estonian Rifle Corps retained the uniform of the Estonian army of 1936, on which Soviet insignia were sewn. Initially, most of the positions in the corps were occupied by former officers of the Estonian army, but by mid-June 1941 - even before the German attack on the USSR - most of them were arrested and replaced by officers of the Red Army who had arrived from the USSR.

Most of the arrested Estonian officers died in camps on the territory of the RSFSR, many were shot. Of the Estonian generals who ended up in the Soviet camps, only one Richard Tomberg survived, since since 1942 he was demanded by the Frunze Military Academy as a teacher and was arrested only in February 1944 (released from the camp and rehabilitated in 1956 year).

Some of the dismissed officers of the Estonian army and 22nd Rifle Corps managed to escape from the authorities in the period between leaving the service and their planned arrest. Some managed to escape abroad, others came out of hiding only after the arrival of German troops in July - August 1941, some of them voluntarily joined the Estonian units that fought on the side of Nazi Germany or entered the service of the Estonian self-government controlled by the German authorities.

8th Estonian Rifle Corps

As part of the armed forces of Nazi Germany

As part of the Finnish army

In the post-independence period

In the period after the declaration of independence, Estonia did not ratify the treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe.

The Estonian Armed Forces are recruited in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Estonia “On General Military Service”. Young men from 18 to 28 years of age who are not exempt and who are Estonian citizens are required to complete an 8-month service (autumn conscription) or 11-month service (individual specialists) (spring).

In 2001, Estonian Defense Minister Juri Lusk issued a statement that the Estonian military doctrine does not exclude foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in Estonia from participating in “defensive actions”.

In 2006, a CERT center was established in Estonia, whose task is to ensure Internet security, in the future it is envisaged to create a "cyber defense center" " Tiigrikaitse".

In June 2009, the Estonian parliament passed amendments to the law on the state of emergency, which allowed the army and the Defense League to be used to suppress riots.

The armed forces in peacetime number 5,500 people, of which about 2,000 are conscripts. There are about 3,500 professional military personnel in the Armed Forces. The reserve of the Armed Forces is about 30,000 people, which makes it possible to fully staff the 1st Infantry Brigade, 4th Separate Battalions and 4th Defense Regions. In addition to the reserve, there are 12,000 more people who are in 15 squads of the Defense League (the so-called "Defense League" - a volunteer paramilitary formation), which together with the Armed Forces is part of the Estonian Defense Forces.

Structure

The Armed Forces of Estonia include:

• command;
• ground troops;
• air Force;
• naval forces;
• parts of logistic support;
• military schools

The average size of the Defense Forces in peacetime is 5,500, of which almost 2,000 are conscripts. In the event of the outbreak of hostilities, it is planned to increase the size of the army at the expense of reservists and mobilization measures.

Ground troops

The ground forces are the largest branch of the armed forces. Their tasks are to protect the territory of Estonia and organize preparation for external operations. Priorities are rapid response units, host country support and territorial development support structures.

If necessary, they can also be used to suppress the actions of the population of the country and provide assistance to civilian structures in overcoming the consequences of man-made disasters and natural disasters.

Army commander in support of the main headquarters and troops, time for the preparation of the reserve, consisting of territorial battalions and the 1st Infantry Brigade. In a crisis or war, the tasks of the command of the ground forces are the responsibility for planning, preparing, and developing a plan for the defense of the district.

The 1st Infantry Brigade is one of the main formations of the ground forces; during the war, it is planned to be deployed into a larger unit. The brigade is staffed with professional military personnel and conscripts, trained in accordance with NATO standards and can operate in conjunction with units of other NATO countries.

Air Force

The Estonian Air Force (Air Force) ensures security in Estonian airspace. One of the main goals of the air force is to create an air surveillance system that will become an element of the air defense of NATO countries and can be used for reconnaissance, airspace control, and air traffic safety. The Air Force consists of two transport aircraft and four helicopters.

All equipment located on the territory was removed by the Soviet Army during the period of the disconnection of the Republic of Estonia or destroyed by the inept actions of the organizers of the new Estonian army. The Estonian Air Force was rebuilt in 1994. The Air Force was rebuilt from the destroyed military infrastructure left behind by the Russian army. Most of the funds went to the modernization of the Ämari airbase in accordance with NATO standards, which was completed in 2010. Due to the lack of modern military aviation and developed infrastructure, limited funding, the development of the air force is very slow.

Navy

The Estonian Navy is responsible for all maritime operations in Estonian territorial waters. The main functions of the naval forces are the preparation and organization of protection of territorial waters and coastlines, ensuring the safety of maritime navigation, communications and shipping in territorial waters and cooperation, together with the NATO naval forces and other friendly countries. In the event of a crisis, the fleet must be ready to defend the sea, port areas, sea lines of communication and cooperate with the coalition units. The navy includes patrol ships, minesweepers, support ships and coast guard units needed to ensure the safety of maritime communications. The current structure includes a division of mine ships, which also includes a group of divers. In addition, there is a naval school, a naval base and headquarters in Tallinn.

Estonian Defense League

The Defense Union is a voluntary military organization that reports to the Ministry of Defense. The main goal of the Defense League is to protect independence and constitutional order, including in the event of a military threat, based on the free expression of the will of citizens.

The Defense League consists of 15 territorial subdivisions, whose areas of responsibility mainly coincide with the borders of the Estonian counties. The Defense Union has over 12,000 members and, together with affiliated organizations, more than 20,000 activists. The Defense League takes part in the exercises of the Estonian army, in addition, its activists participate in maintaining public order as volunteer police assistants, take part in extinguishing forest fires and perform some other public functions.

Defense Alliance and related organizations maintain relationships with partner organizations in the Nordic countries, the United States and the United Kingdom. Union activists take part in "international peacekeeping operations."

Organization

Units of the Estonian Armed Forces include permanent readiness units (fully staffed with professional military personnel) and cadre reserve units. The use of reservists helps to reduce the cost of military education and training. If necessary, reservists can be staffed and replenished already existing units. The army reserve includes the majority of male citizens.

Defense Army headquarters

In peacetime, the Estonian Defense Army and the Defense League are defense Army Commander (Estonian Kaitseväe juhataja), in wartime - supreme Commander of the Defense Army (Estonian Kaitseväe ülemjuhataja). The Commander of the Defense Army is appointed and dismissed from office by the Riigikogu (Parliament) on the proposal of the President of the Republic of Estonia. Since 5 December 2006, Lieutenant General Ants Laaneots has been serving as the Commander of the Defense Army.

The governing body of the Estonian Defense Forces is main headquarters of the Defense Army (Estonian Kaitseväe Peastaap). The main headquarters of the Defense Army is engaged in the operational management, training and development of the Defense Army. Operational leadership is exercised by operational personnel who plan and oversee operations and ensure the readiness of defense and mobilization. The Training and Development Department is responsible for long-term and medium-term planning, resource planning, organizing and overseeing the preparation planning and implementation of state protection activities. The main headquarters of the Defense Army is headed by the Commander of the Defense Army.

Military spending and budget

Estonian military budget

Military vehicles and equipment

Further development of the armed forces

In accordance with the long-term development plan for the country's armed forces, it is envisaged to strengthen the naval forces through the acquisition of multi-purpose high-speed patrol boats.

Also, it is envisaged: the reorganization of the infantry brigade into a motorized infantry brigade in 2013; the reorganization of 15 infantry battalions of territorial defense into 5 infantry battalions and five reconnaissance companies; creation in 2014 of an air defense division.

It is also envisaged to strengthen the air defense system, modernize and replenish existing units with new weapons systems.

Arms, military equipment supplies and foreign military aid

Initially, the Estonian army had weapons and military equipment of the Soviet Army units located on the territory of the Estonian SSR.

Beginning in 1992, the supply of weapons and military equipment began from the Eastern European states and NATO countries.

During 1992 and the first half of 1993, the Estonian armed forces received significant sums of money from Western countries, as well as weapons and military property: from the FRG - two L-410 transport aircraft, 8 boats, 200 vehicles and 180 tons of military cargo; from Sweden - one ship; from Norway - army footwear and fabric for sewing uniforms. At the same time, the United States sent 60 military advisers, military specialists and consultants to Estonia. At least 15 Estonian military personnel were sent to study at US military educational institutions, 42 people. - in Germany, 10 people. - to Finland.

In January 1993, a contract was signed with the Israeli company TAAS, according to which 10 MAPATS rocket launchers, Uzi submachine guns, artillery pieces, mortars, communications equipment, and body armor were supplied from Israel for the Estonian army. The total amount of the contract was $ 50 million. In February 1994, the Estonian media reported that some of the weapons and military equipment (totaling $ 4 million) were defective. In 1998, the Estonian government filed a lawsuit against Israel in an international court in London in connection with this deal, and in July 2003 a British court ordered Israel to pay Estonia $ 2 million "as a result of erroneous calculations of the ribit." In total, by the end of 1995, Israel supplied Estonia with weapons worth 60.4 million US dollars, among the range of supplies were Galil submachine guns, mini-Uzi submachine guns, sniper rifles, 82-mm B- grenade launchers 300, 81-mm Soltam mortars, 106-mm M40 recoilless guns, ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, missiles, guided projectiles, ammunition and other military equipment in an amount sufficient to equip an army of 12 thousand people. ...

In 1994, by order of the General Staff of the Estonian Armed Forces, the Finnish company Ultramatic sold 1,300 pistols made in Western countries for arming the officers of the Estonian army. Some of the pistols, presumably, were transferred to the "Defense League"

In 1997, the United States donated 1200 M-16A1 assault rifles, 1500 M1911 pistols and a coast guard boat to Estonia free of charge. " Valvas", and in 1998 for the mobilization reserve - 40.5 thousand M-14 assault rifles with a total value of 2.4 million dollars or 43.3 million Estonian kroons. At the same time, the Estonian side had to pay only transportation costs for the delivery of weapons to Estonia in the amount of 5.4 million kroons.

Also, in 1998, nineteen 105-mm artillery M-61/37 artillery pieces fired before World War II were received from Finland.

In 1999, the Estonian army received from Sweden 100 Carl Gustaf M2 grenade launchers, 90-mm M60 recoilless anti-tank guns and 40-mm anti-aircraft guns with control systems worth 1.2 billion Swedish kronor.

In early 2000, a batch of mini-robots was received to detect explosive devices.

In March 2001, an agreement was concluded for the supply from the United States of the TPS-117 radar station, designed to create the BALTNET system. In March 2003, the construction of the station was completed, and in May 2003, the FPS-117 three-coordinate radar station was put into operation. The radar provides aircraft detection at altitudes up to 30 km and at a distance of up to 450 km.

In early 2002, a large consignment of AK4 assault rifles was received from Sweden, provided free of charge for the rearmament of army units (to replace the Galil assault rifles that were previously in service, which were transferred to the armament of the territorial units and the Defense League).

On August 2, 2002, under the US military assistance program, two R-44 Astro helicopters equipped with photo and video equipment and thermal imagers were donated. In April 2012, specialists from the American company "Rebtech" carried out their modernization by installing sets of NVIS equipment ( Night Vision Imaging Systems) for night flights.

In February 2004, a consignment of weapons worth 120 million Estonian kroons was purchased from the FRG (155-mm FH-70 towed howitzers, ATGM systems, as well as ammunition, spare parts and training programs for them).

In May 2004, a contract was signed for the supply from Great Britain for the Estonian contingent in Afghanistan of seven Mamba Mk.2 armored vehicles, on August 26, 2004, the first 4 armored vehicles were received

In 2004, a batch of 60 XA-180EST armored personnel carriers was purchased in Finland, in December 2011, a contract was signed for the supply of 81 more Finnish XA-188 armored personnel carriers, previously in service with the Dutch army. On August 28, 2007, an additional contract was signed with the Finnish company Patria for the maintenance of armored personnel carriers, the supply of spare parts and special tools for them, and the transfer of technical documentation.

In the summer of 2005, an agreement was concluded for the German company "Heckler & Koch" to acquire a batch of 9-mm pistols H&K USP

Also, in 2005, Estonia acquired in the Czech Republic the VERA-E passive electronic intelligence system worth $ 4 million

In addition, under the American Foreign Military Financing program, in 2004 Estonia received free military aid from the United States in the amount of $ 6 million, in 2005 - in the amount of $ 5 million and in 2006 - in the amount of 4.2 million dollars. In 2004-2005. These funds were used to purchase mainly radio stations, night vision devices, positioning systems on the ground, spare parts for cars and communication systems.

In February 2007, a contract was signed with the Swedish concern SAAB AB and the French corporation MBDA France for the supply of short-range air defense systems for the country's armed forces. In 2010, the Estonian army received the Mistral air defense system, which consists of Giraffe AMB radars, a command post, communications equipment, rocket launchers, Mistral missiles and training equipment. Radars, command centers and communications systems were sourced from Sweden, while missile launchers and ammunition were sourced from France. The total value of the contract was EEK 1 billion.

In 2007, an agreement was signed to supply the Estonian army with a batch of sniper weapons (French 12.7 mm PGM Hecate II sniper rifles and Finnish 8.6 mm Sako TRG-42 sniper rifles)

At the beginning of 2008, the modernization of the former Soviet airbase Emari (40 km from Tallinn) began in accordance with NATO standards. The original cost of the modernization program was 1 billion Estonian kroons (64 million euros), with half of the amount to be provided by NATO and the other half by the government of Estonia. The modernization of the airbase was completed on September 15, 2010. The total cost of the work was about 75 million euros, a third of the funds came from NATO.

In 2008, a contract was signed with Finland, and in 2009, 36 D-30 122 mm howitzers, ammunition and other military equipment were received. The howitzers received from Finland were released in the 1960s-1970s in the USSR and were in service with the GDR ground forces until the 1990s.

Also, in 2008, a contract was signed with the Swiss arms company "Brügger & Thomet", in accordance with which 2,500 automatic rifles in service with the Estonian army were modernized: an optical or collimator sight was installed on AK-4 assault rifles, Galil assault rifles were equipped with a metal aiming bar with a mount for installing additional equipment.

In October 2008, a contract was signed with the American firm "Hydroid" for the supply of two small-sized remotely controlled underwater vehicles "Remus 100" equipped with sonars

In addition, in 2008, the vehicle fleet was updated - 500 new vehicles were purchased for the Estonian army (in particular, German cars DAF, UNIMOG U1300 and Mercedes-Benz 1017A), and some obsolete vehicles (Swedish Volvo trucks, American GMC M275A2 trucks and Chevrolet M1008 jeeps, Soviet trucks GAZ, MAZ, ZIL, "Ural" and UAZ off-road vehicles, Magirus, Robur, IFA trucks manufactured in the GDR and Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG trucks, Mercedes-Benz 911 trucks manufactured in Germany, as well as Iltis SUVs) in January 2009 year was put up for sale

In 2009, the United States allocated 800 thousand dollars to Estonia to modernize the ground infrastructure for servicing military helicopters: repair helipads, adapt them to NATO standards, as well as create refueling stations in Narva and Värska bordering Russia.

In 2009, a contract was signed for the purchase of two new three-coordinate ground master 403 medium-range radar stations manufactured by the American company Tales-Raytheon systems. Ground master 403 is a mobile radar capable of detecting air targets at ranges up to 470 km and altitudes up to 30 km. In addition to the procurement of the two main radars, the agreement provides for the supply of auxiliary radars, generators, containers, vehicles and training aids. The cost of the radars is estimated at 350 million Estonian kroons (31.15 million dollars). Payments will be made in installments from 2009 to 2014

In March 2011, the United States donated several RQ-11 "Raven" unmanned aerial vehicles to the Estonian contingent in Afghanistan.

In June 2011, the United States transferred 6 International MaxxPro armored vehicles to the Estonian contingent in Afghanistan.

In February 2012, a consignment of anti-aircraft weapons worth 283,050 euros was purchased in Finland (additional launchers of the Mistral air defense system, spare parts for them and 23-mm anti-aircraft guns ZU-23-2)

In November 2012, American General Frank D. Turner III announced that the United States was providing military assistance to Estonia under the FMF (Foreign military financing) and IMET (International Military Education and Training), for which millions of dollars are allocated annually. Only by program FMF Since 1995, the Estonian Armed Forces have received military aid totaling $ 70 million.

Symbols and flags

• Logistics Center (Est. Logistikakeskus)
• Logistics battalion (Est. Logistikapataljon)
• Health center (Estonian Tervisekeskus)
• Medical service (Est. Meditsiiniteenistus)
• Service of military chaplains (Estonian Kaplaniteenistus)
• Headquarters and communications battalion (Estonian Staabi- ja sidepataljon)
• Joint Military Educational Institutions of the Army (Est. Kaitseväe Ühendatud Õppeasutused)
• Võru Military School of the Armed Forces (Estonian Kaitseväe Võru Lahingukool)
• Higher Military School of the Armed Forces (Est. Kaitseväe Ühendatud Õppeasutused - Kõrgem Sõjakool)
• Military police (Estonian Sõjaväepolitsei)

Notes

1. 115-page Report: "Security and Defense Capabilities of the Baltic States", October 2012 (English)
2. The commander of the Defense Forces was replaced in Estonia // "Lenta.RU" dated October 13, 2011
3. News from the Baltic States // "Foreign Military Review", No. 10 (655), 2001. p.53-56
4. About CERT Estonia
5. Estonia allowed to use the army to suppress riots // "Lenta.RU" dated June 16, 2009
6. Empty space, Lenta.ru
7. Estonian Navy
8. Estonian Ministry of Defense: Budget Reporting
9. en: Former equipment of the Maavägi
10. en: Equipment of the Maavägi
11. Long Term Defense Development Plan: Reforming the Armed Forces
12. D. Evseev. The Armed Forces of the Baltic States // "Foreign Military Review", No. 2 (779), 2012. p. 11-19
13. V. Kolchugin. Military contacts of the Baltic countries with the West // "Foreign Military Review", No. 6, 1993. pp. 17-19
14. Estonia arms itself // "REGNUM" news agency, February 4, 2004
15. How Israeli gunsmiths "killed" the Estonian government // IzRus, November 20, 2011
16. TOP scandals in the Estonian army: from a scam with the purchase of weapons to hazing
17. cand. econom. n. S.I. Simanovsky. Israel's Defense Industry Progress. // "Independent Military Review", No. 15, 1997
18. Yu. Grigoriev. The coup is canceled // newspaper "Estonian Youth" of March 23, 1999
19. Yuri Chubchenko. The United States is arming Estonia with stale goods // Kommersant, No. 143 (1546) of August 7, 1998
20. S. Smirnov. With the world on a string. The US Department of Defense will donate 40,500 M14 assault rifles to the Estonian Defense Forces, the US Embassy in Estonia reported. // "Kupecheskaya Gazeta" dated August 6, 1998
21. Decommissioned and obsolete weapons rust // "Postimees" from August 31, 2010
22. Estonia // "Foreign Military Review", No. 2 (635), 2000. p.59
23. Lithuania // "Foreign Military Review", No. 3 (660), 2002. p.58
24. Estonia // "Foreign Military Review", No. 5 (674), 2003. p.62
25. Estonia // "Foreign Military Review", No. 3 (660), 2002. p.61
26. Estonia // "Foreign Military Review", No. 9 (666), 2002. p.58

Republic of Estonia. They consist of the ground forces, the navy, the air force and the paramilitary organization "Defense League". The size of the Estonian army, according to official statistics, is 6,400 regular troops and 15,800 in the Defense League. The reserve consists of about 271,000 people.

Functions

The national defense policy is aimed at ensuring the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its territorial possessions and constitutional order. The main objectives of the Estonian army remain to develop and maintain the ability to defend the vital interests of the country, as well as to establish interaction and interoperability with the armed forces of the NATO and European Union member states to participate in the full range of missions of these military alliances.

What can the Estonian army be proud of?

The creation of national paramilitary structures began during the 1st World War. Despite the relatively small population, about 100,000 Estonians fought on the Eastern Front, of which about 2,000 were promoted to officers. 47 indigenous Estonians have been awarded the Order of St. George. Among the officers were:

• 28 lieutenant colonels;
• 12 colonels;
• 17 Estonians commanded battalions, 7 - regiments;
• 3 senior officers served as divisional staff chiefs.

Formation of a national army

In the spring of 1917, anticipating radical changes in the Russian Empire, Estonian politicians initiated the creation of 2 regiments as part of the Russian army, which would be deployed in the vicinity of Tallinn and Narva. The backbone of these paramilitaries was to be made up of Estonian natives, hardened at the fronts of the First World War. The Commander of the Petrograd Military District, General Lavr Kornilov, approved the composition of the commission. The General Staff sent a telegram to the troops to redirect the Estonian soldiers in reserve to the Tallinn fortress.

The Military Bureau was in charge of the creation of national regiments. In May, the garrison already numbered 4,000 troops. However, the command of the Baltic Fleet soon canceled this initiative, suspecting in these actions an attempt to separate Estonia from the Russian Empire.

After the bourgeois and subsequent socialist revolution of 1917, the situation changed. The Provisional Government, counting on the loyalty of the Estonians, allowed the formation of the 1st National Division from 5,600 fighters, the commander of which was Lieutenant Colonel Johan Laidoner. Thus, this formation can be considered the ancestor of the Estonian army.

Confrontation

Germany occupied Estonia after the actual collapse of the Russian troops. However, on November 11, 1918, a revolution took place in Germany itself, German troops left the territory, transferring control to the national administration.

The Bolsheviks decided to take advantage of the unexpected situation and sent the 7th Army to "liberate the Baltic States from the bourgeoisie". Quite quickly, a significant part of Estonia came under the control of the Soviets. The national government tried to create a capable army, however, tired of wars and revolutions, workers and peasants deserted en masse. However, by February 1919 the troops already consisted of 23,000 servicemen, the armament of the Estonian army consisted of a division of armored trains, 26 guns, 147 machine guns.

Gaining independence

When the front line approached Tallinn at 34 kilometers, an English squadron arrived at the port, delivering military equipment and supporting the defenders with their guns. A number of units of the White Army also went here. The May 1919 offensive, under the command of Commander-in-Chief Johan Laidoner, supported by the Royal Navy and Finnish, Swedish and Danish volunteers, led to the liberation of the territory.

By the end of 1919, the Estonian army numbered 90,000: 3 infantry regiments reinforced with cavalry and artillery, as well as volunteer detachments, separate battalions and regiments. It was armed with 5 armored cars, 11 armored trains, 8 aircraft, 8 warships (destroyers, gunboats, minesweepers) and several tanks.

The Estonians put up a worthy resistance, forcing the Bolsheviks to recognize the independence of this proud people. On February 2, 1920, the RSFSR and the Republic of Estonia signed the Tartu Peace Treaty.

World War II

In 1940, according to the secret part of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, the Baltic republic was annexed by the Red Army almost without resistance. The government decided to avoid senseless bloodshed.

After the arrival of the Nazis, many Estonians, offended by the Soviet regime, joined the auxiliary units of the German Wehrmacht. Ultimately, the formation of the 20th division of the Waffen SS grenadiers (1st Estonian) began from volunteers and conscripts.

Estonians also fought on the side of the USSR against the Nazis. They formed the backbone of the 22nd Estonian Rifle Corps. The soldiers demonstrated their special heroism in the battles for the city of Dno, Pskov region. However, due to frequent cases of desertion, the unit was disbanded. In 1942, the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps was formed.

New time

After the re-independence caused by the collapse of the USSR, the question of the formation of national defense arose again. The Estonian Army was reinstated on September 3, 1991 by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia. Today the country's armed forces have 30 units and several army formations.

Since 2011, the Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces has been appointed and accountable to the Estonian government through the Ministry of Defense, and not to the Riigikogu National Assembly, as was the case in the past. This was prompted by the constitutional changes proposed by the President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

Managment structure

Command and leadership:

• Defense Department.
• Military headquarters.
• Commander-in-Chief.

Types of troops:

• Ground troops.
• Air Force.
• Defense League "Defense League".

Today, a large-scale program of rearmament and strengthening of the Estonian army is being carried out. A photo of new military equipment shows that the leadership is placing the main stake on mobile units.

In peacetime, the main tasks of the Ministry of Defense are to control borders and airspace, maintain conscripts and create reserve units, participate in international NATO and UN missions, and provide assistance to civilian authorities in case of emergency.

In crisis situations, the main tasks of management are:

• increasing the levels of readiness of units as needed;
• preparation for the transition to a military structure and the beginning of mobilization;
• integration of units from other law enforcement agencies;
• preparing to accept help from friendly forces.

In wartime, the main tasks are to protect the territorial integrity of a state, facilitate the arrival and deployment of forces from other countries and cooperate with them, maintain control over national airspace, and facilitate the air defense of strategic facilities in cooperation with NATO forces.

The size and armament of the Estonian army

The Defense Forces consists of regular military units with a total of 6,500 officers and men, and the Defense League volunteer corps, with some 12,600 soldiers. In the future, it is planned to increase the size of the operational military grouping to 30,000 people. The Defense Forces are the main reserve, so “all physically and mentally healthy male citizens” must complete compulsory military service for a period of 8 or 11 months. The Defense Forces are located in four defense districts with headquarters in Tallinn, Tapa, Luunja and Pärnu.

The ground forces are mainly equipped with NATO-style weapons. The basis is made up of small arms, mobile vehicles, anti-tank and anti-aircraft portable systems.

The Navy includes patrol boats, minesweepers, frigates, and coast guard forces. Most are at the Miinisadam naval base. The purchase of modern high-speed patrol boats is planned.

The Estonian Air Force was reinstated on 13 April 1994. From 1993 to 1995, two transport aircraft of the L-410UVP type, three Mi-2 helicopters and four Mi-8 helicopters were delivered to Estonia. The service branch received old Soviet radars and equipment. Most of the units are stationed at the Aimari military airfield, where reconstruction was completed in 2012. In 2014, Estonia showed interest in acquiring Saab JAS-39 Gripen fighters from Sweden, which are needed to create an aviation wing that does not currently exist.

The Estonian Armed Forces or the Estonian Defense Army (Est. Eesti Kaitsevägi), the military structure of the executive state power of the Republic of Estonia, subordinate to the Government of the Republic and administered by the Ministry of Defense. Together with the Estonian Defense League, the Defense Army is part of the Estonian Defense Forces.

The Estonian Defense Army is built on the principle of common defense, its tasks include preserving Estonia's sovereignty, protecting its territory, territorial waters and airspace as an integral and indivisible integrity, constitutional order and public security.

The functioning of the Estonian Defense Forces is based on the principles of civilian control and is linked to the democratic organization of the state. Democratically elected and appointed executive bodies make decisions on the use of the Defense Army and determine the appropriate targets, allocate the necessary resources and monitor the achievement of targets. The implementation of the principles of civil control is guaranteed by law and is entrusted to the parliament, the President of the Republic and the government of the Republic. In wartime, the President of the Republic is the Supreme Commander of the Defense Army, and the governing body is the National Defense Council, consisting of the Chairman of Parliament, the Prime Minister, Commander of the Defense Army, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for National Defense. Executive power in the leadership of national defense is exercised by the government of the republic.

Structure

The Estonian Defense Forces consist of ground, sea and air forces, logistics, as well as component units, headquarters and institutions. In order to fulfill their mission, the Defense Forces and operational structures have organized training and administrative structures. The average size of the Defense Forces in peacetime is 5,500, of which almost 2,000 are conscripts. Planned to protect the operational structure is up to 16,000 people, 30,000 to replenish the stock is a man. The operational structure of the mobilization achieved in the implementation of the full size. It is proposed to reserve a year in training and be considered more than 2,000 conscripts, and also offered an armed reserve of about 1,500.

Ground troops

The army is the largest military power type. The army is vital for the defense of Estonian territory and organizations in preparation for external operations. Army priorities are rapid response units and the overall goal of countering forces, supporting the host country and territorial development support structures. If necessary, provide assistance to the army tsiviilorganisatsioone, incurred as a result of human activities or natural disasters.

In service are: 88 armored personnel carriers (7 Mamba; 58 XA-180 Sisu, 20 BTR-80, 2 BTR-70; 1 BTR-60 and it is planned to purchase an additional XA-180 BTR); Artillery pieces 335 units, Mistral MANPADS and Anti-aircraft installations.

The army commander, under the guidance of his execution in support of the command of the headquarters component and troops, time for peace in the preparation of the reserve unit. Exchange under the operational commander of the army of territorial battalions, consisting of reservists and 1 Infantry Brigade. Crisis and war, war and the tasks of the army command are responsible for planning, training, however, the practical task of protecting the area.

1. An infantry brigade is one of the basic military maneuvers of a unit, which includes large military service while the units were taught. The brigade is comprised of a professional military force composed of Rapid Response Infantry Battalions, Reconnaissance Battalion. The group can act in cooperation with NATO väeüksustega. It also includes 1 brigade and rear infantry battalion of the Kalevi battalion.

Air Force

The Air Force is the main unit of the Estonian aviation forces, which play an important role in improving the safety of flights in Estonian airspace. One of the main objectives of the Air Force is to establish an air surveillance system that will become the cornerstone of air traffic safety and airspace control, and develop an airspace surveillance system to a level that allows close cooperation with NATO air defense systems.

The Air Force is armed with 4 R-44 helicopters and two An-2. Agusta AW-139 was also purchased.

The Estonian Air Force is slowly reforming as the infrastructure and funds to support it are lacking. All equipment placed on the territory of the Soviet Army was removed during the period of the disconnection of the Republic of Estonia or destroyed by the inept actions of the organizers of the new Estonian army. The Estonian Air Force was rebuilt in 1994. The Air Force was rebuilding the destroyed military infrastructure of the abandoned Russian army. Most of the funds went to the Ämari military airfield, around which will be completed in 2010. The goal of the Ämari airbase development is to cooperate with NATO and partner countries and the air force to be able to supply the standardized airfield and aircraft services required to support the host country. Due to the lack of modern military aviation, and a developed infrastructure, the development of the air force was very slow.

Navy

The Estonian Navy is responsible for all maritime operations and security in Estonian territorial waters. The main functions of the naval forces are the preparation and organization of protection of territorial waters and coastlines, ensuring the safety of maritime navigation, communications and shipping in territorial waters and cooperation, together with the NATO Navy and other friendly countries in the vicinity. In the event of a crisis, the fleet must be ready to defend by sea approaches, port areas, sea lines of communication and cooperate with coalition units. The Navy includes units of patrol ships, Minesweeper, Fregate and the Coast Guard units needed to ensure the safety of maritime communications and clear lines and to establish ment barriers. The current structure operates a shipping move to the department, which also includes a group of divers. In addition, there is the Naval Academy, a naval base at the Mining Seaport and whose headquarters are located in Tallinn.

The Defense Union is a voluntary military national defense organization that operates under the authority of the Ministry of Defense. Defense Union Demons are weapons and are involved in military exercises. The main purpose of the defense of the league, based on citizens, free will and initiative, in order to increase the readiness of the state to defend its independence and constitutional order, including in the event of a military threat. The Defense League plays an important role in supporting civilian structures. Its members assist in fighting forest fires, as volunteer police assistants, and ensure safety at various events. The nodes are made up of volunteer members of the Defense League, as well as participation in international peacekeeping operations in both the Balkan states. Defense Union and related organizations have a positive relationship with partner organizations in the Nordic countries, the United States and the United Kingdom. The organization consists of 15 divisions, the Defense Union's regional areas of responsibility mostly coincide with the borders of the Estonian counties. Today the Defense Union has over 12,000 members. The Defense League affiliated organizations bring together more than 20,000 volunteers.

Organization

Representing the various stages of completion of the operational units of the Estonian Defense, which is set up for the professional armed forces, reservists and member guards. Military service, having in their composition on reserve units, they are recruited from the number of personnel in the future readiness of the subjects to the Standing Commission for the Defense of the League. Operational base Peacetime defense military forces are trained as reserve units. Resource-poor country, it has the advantage that the approach described in connection with the need for reservists to leave in peacetime to maintain their own lives, and only costs the state of training.

The army reserve is easy to mobilize public opinion, since the reserve is already accustomed to working with subordinates to be concentrated quickly moving into larger units. The army reserve has the advantage of being closely tied to the citizens, as it includes the majority of male citizens who are ready to defend their homeland from attack. However, the military structure of a fully professional military consists of units in their direction, and those that have performed only a fraction of the defense professional positions. Only the largest professional armed forces created by the Scout Battalion Group, but part of the cadre unit by the armed forces, for example the 1st Infantry Brigade Headquarters. The headquarters of the brigade, as soon as possible, if necessary, however, fully staffed and other specialists working in the reserve officers and all employees.

Defense Army headquarters

In peacetime, the Estonian Defense Army and the Defense Union are led by the Commander of the Defense Army (Est. Kaitseväe juhataja), in wartime - the Supreme Commander of the Defense Army (Est. Kaitseväe ülemjuhataja). The Commander of the Defense Army is appointed and dismissed from office by the Riigikogu (Parliament) on the proposal of the President of the Republic of Estonia. Since 5 December 2006, Lieutenant General Ants Laaneots has been serving as the Commander of the Defense Army.

The governing body of the Estonian Defense Forces is the main headquarters of the Defense Forces (Est. Kaitseväe Peastaap). The main headquarters of the Defense Army is engaged in the operational management, training and development of the Defense Army. Operational leadership is exercised by operational personnel who plan and oversee operations and ensure the readiness of defense and mobilization. The Training and Development Department is responsible for long-term and medium-term planning, resource planning, organizing and overseeing the preparation planning and implementation of state protection activities. Main the Defense Army headquarters is headed by the Commander of the Defense Army.

According to the defense long-term development plan of the navy will receive new military capabilities. Of these new warfare capabilities, the procurement of multipurpose fast patrol boats will be a priority. Operational it is cloudy to such ships to ensure the protection of territorial waters and improved maritime surveillance.

According to the new long-term development plan of the current air defense battalion will be gradually modernized as one of the priority tasks of the armed forces is to develop air defense capabilities to make sure. In accordance with the plan, a certain medium-range mobile air defense unit will be created and developed as, along with the existing army, the short-range air defense capability will be expanded through the purchase of additional weapons systems, as well as the creation of new air defense units.

Sources:
1. Armed forces of Estonia

Support

The history of the armed forces of the three Baltic republics, as well as the history of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, has much in common. The period of independence between the two world wars, joining the USSR, German occupation, re-incorporation into the Soviet Union, declaration of independence in the early 1990s. All of these small states have fairly weak military forces and prefer to rely on their NATO allies.

Latvia

The national armed forces of Latvia can be considered the heirs of the armed forces that existed before 1940 and included four ground divisions, a technical division, the Navy and various auxiliary formations. After the incorporation of Latvia into the USSR, units of the Latvian army were transformed into the 24th Latvian Rifle Corps of the Red Army, which was under the operational control of the 27th Army. In August 1991, a law was passed in Latvia on the creation of the first militarized formation "Home Guard", and after the proclamation of independence of Latvia, the government began to create the armed forces.

Since 1994, Latvia has actively participated in the NATO Partnership for Peace program. And in March 2004, the republic joined the North Atlantic Alliance. Latvian soldiers have participated in various international missions in hot spots: in the peacekeeping contingent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the KFOR contingent (Kosovo), in the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq.

In mid-2005, Latvia adopted the concept of standard small arms, which provided for the gradual rearmament of the Latvian army with NATO standard weapons. At the same time, first of all, the formations participating in the missions of the North Atlantic Alliance were to be equipped with new weapons, as well as the units that are intended to participate in international operations.

In November 2006, the first batch of HK G36 assault rifles entered service with the Latvian army. In January 2007, universal military service was abolished, and the transition to a professional army took place.

The Armed Forces of Latvia have about 5,000 servicemen and 10,000 reservists. Including more than 900 in the Ground Forces, 552 in the Navy, 250 in the Air Force. There are also over 1,200 civil servants in the armed forces. The military budget for 2012 was 370 million euros.

The Land Forces of Latvia are composed of the following units and subunits: infantry brigade of the ground forces, special forces unit, battalion of the headquarters of the armed forces, military police, territorial defense forces, logistics department, training department.

In 2015, several CVRT tracked armored personnel carriers were delivered to Latvia, designed to improve the combat capability and mobility of the infantry brigade of the ground forces. By 2020, the Latvian military should receive 123 of these tracked armored personnel carriers purchased from the UK. The Latvian army is also armed with the American army Humvee all-terrain vehicles, which have high maneuverability and are suitable for air transportation and landing.

Active negotiations are underway with Germany on the purchase of Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled artillery mounts and infantry fighting vehicles. And in the summer of 2015, the commander of the Latvian armed forces told the press that his country would purchase Stinger portable anti-aircraft missile systems from the United States. As expected, these MANPADS will be deployed at the largest military training ground in the Baltic States - the military base Adazi.

The Latvian Air Force is small. In the early 2000s, two new Mi-8MTV helicopters were purchased, equipped with rescue and search equipment, but also used for transporting manpower, evacuating and supporting special forces. Then two more Mi-8MTVs were purchased. Previously, the Air Force was armed with the Polish training and sports aircraft PZL-104 Wilga, the Czechoslovakian universal twin-engine Let L-410 Turbolet aircraft, the Soviet light multi-purpose aircraft An-2, and the Mi-2 helicopter.

It is not surprising that Latvia, which has a very modest air force arsenal (as well as Lithuania and Estonia), is forced to use the services of “colleagues” in NATO, who alternately patrol the airspace of the Baltic republics. Since January 2016, this mission has been carried out by military aircraft from Belgium and Spain flying from a NATO military base in the Lithuanian city of Siauliai.

The Latvian naval force has 587 military personnel and several ships, the main task of which is the demining of territorial waters, as well as patrolling. The reserve of the armed forces consists of Latvian citizens who have completed military service (5,000 people). In the event of a general mobilization, the army will receive 14 more light infantry battalions, one air defense battalion, one artillery battalion and several auxiliary units.

As of 2012, the number of the Latvian State Border Guard was 2,500 people, armed with three helicopters, three patrol boats, 12 small patrol boats, four motor boats, two trucks, four buses, 11 off-road minibuses, 22 SUVs, 60 minibuses , 131 passenger cars, 30 ATVs, 17 motorcycles and seven tractors.

Lithuania

Until 1940, the Lithuanian armed forces were called the Lithuanian Army. After the republic was incorporated into the USSR, it was reorganized into the 29th territorial rifle corps of the Red Army. In January 1992, the Ministry of Regional Protection began its activity. At the same time, the first call for active military service was announced. In November 1992, the re-establishment of the Army of the Republic of Lithuania was proclaimed.

Continuing the traditions of the Lithuanian Army of the interwar period, many battalions of the modern Lithuanian army were given the names of the regiments of the 1920s - 1930s and their symbols. The modern armed forces of Lithuania are composed of the Land Forces, the Naval Forces, the Air Force and the Special Operations Forces.

In September 2008, conscription for military service was canceled in Lithuania, and now the recruitment of the Lithuanian armed forces is carried out on a professional basis. However, in 2015, the draft was “temporarily” restored - under the pretext of a “Russian threat” and the fact that many units were understaffed. At the same time, young people between the ages of 19 and 26 are encouraged to be selected using a computer drawing.

As of 2011, the military budget of Lithuania was $ 360 million (later it increased several times, approaching $ 500,000), the total strength of the armed forces was 10,640 regular military personnel, 6,700 reservists, another 14.6 thousand served in other paramilitary formations.

The Ground Forces have more than eight thousand servicemen (a rapid reaction force brigade, two motorized infantry battalions, two mechanized battalions, an engineer battalion, a military police battalion, a training regiment and several territorial defense units). In service are 187 M113A1 armored personnel carriers; ten BRDM-2; 133 105mm field artillery guns; 61 120-mm mortars, up to 100 recoilless 84-mm Carl Gustaf guns, 65 ATGMs, 18 anti-aircraft guns and 20 RBS-70 portable anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as over 400 anti-tank grenade launchers of various systems.

The Lithuanian Air Force has fewer than one thousand troops, two L-39ZA aircraft, five transport aircraft (two L-410 and three C-27J) and nine Mi-8 transport helicopters. More than 500 people serve in the Lithuanian Navy.

The naval forces are armed with one Project 1124M small anti-submarine ship, three Danish Flyvefisken class patrol ships, one Norwegian Storm class patrol boat, three other types of patrol boats, two British-built Lindau minesweepers (M53 and M54), one mine command ship sweeping forces of Norwegian construction, one survey vessel and one tug. There is also a coast guard (540 people and three patrol boats).

Like the other Baltic republics, Lithuania in 1994 began cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance under the Partnership for Peace program, which continued until joining NATO in March 2004. The Lithuanian military took part in missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. After Lithuania's accession to NATO, the integration of the country's armed forces with the armed forces of other countries of the alliance began.

In particular, the Lithuanian motorized brigade "Iron Wolf" was included in the Danish division, and in 2007 an agreement was signed on the creation of an infantry battalion of NATO priority forces by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In September 2015, a NATO headquarters was opened in Vilnius (similar ones were also opened in Estonia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Poland and Romania), in which 40 military personnel from the alliance member countries (primarily Germany, Canada and Poland) work. One of its main tasks is called the coordination of the rapid reaction forces of the North Atlantic Alliance in the event of an international crisis in the region.

Estonia

The modern armed forces of Estonia (the Estonian Defense Army) in peacetime number about 5.5 thousand people, of which about two thousand are conscripts. The reserve of the armed forces is about 30,000, which makes it possible to fully staff one infantry brigade, four separate battalions and organize four defensive areas. Additionally, there are more than 12 thousand people who are members of the Defense Union (the so-called "Defense League", a volunteer paramilitary formation).

The Estonian Armed Forces are recruited on the basis of general conscription. Youths between 18 and 28 years of age who are not exempt and who are Estonian citizens are required to do eight months or 11 months of service (individual specialists). The largest part of the armed forces is the Ground Forces. The priority for their development was declared the ability to participate in missions outside the national territory and carry out operations to protect the territory of Estonia, including in cooperation with allies.

Along with a number of Soviet-made armored vehicles, the Estonian army is armed with several dozen Swedish Strf 90 infantry fighting vehicles, Finnish Patria Pasi XA-180EST and Patria Pasi XA-188 armored personnel carriers.

The main functions of the Estonian Navy are the protection of territorial waters and coastlines, ensuring the safety of maritime navigation, communications and shipping in territorial waters and cooperation with the NATO Navy. The naval forces include patrol ships, minesweepers (minesweepers - Sandown-type mine finders), auxiliary ships and coast guard units. Separately, it should be said about the voluntary military organization "Defense League", subordinate to the Ministry of Defense.

It consists of 15 territorial divisions, the areas of responsibility of which mostly coincide with the borders of the Estonian counties. This organization takes part in the exercises of the Estonian army, in addition, its activists participate in maintaining public order as volunteer police assistants, in extinguishing forest fires and performing some other public functions.

Like the other Baltic states, Estonia is a member of the North Atlantic Alliance and has high hopes for its allies. Thus, in the spring of 2015, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves called for the deployment of NATO forces in the country on a permanent basis (at least a brigade). And the Estonian Air Force took part in joint exercises with the US Air Force several times over the past year: American attack planes flew in the Estonian sky and a training airborne landing was carried out.

A small Estonian contingent took part in the war in Afghanistan as part of the ISAF international forces, as well as in the American occupation of Iraq. A small number of Estonian representatives took part in the UN, EU and NATO peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, Mali, Kosovo and the Middle East.

Andrey Yashlavsky

Photo: Sergei Stepanov / Alfredas Pliadis / Xinhua / Globallookpress