Estonia Army

The Estonian Land Forces (Maavägi) are the ground component of the Estonian Defence Forces (Kaitsevägi). They are a conscript-based force built around a reserve wartime structure filled each year by conscript training units. The Estonian Division (Eesti diviis), headquartered in Tallinn, is the main combat formation. It commands both infantry brigades, a division-level artillery regiment and support battalions, and can be placed under NATO command. The British Army's 4th Light Brigade Combat Team is assigned to reinforce Estonia and trains to fight within the division, and a British-led NATO multinational battlegroup, regularly reinforced by a French contingent, is based at Tapa.

The 1st Infantry Brigade, headquartered at Tapa, includes the professional Scouts Battalion with CV9035EE infantry fighting vehicles, while the Kalev and Viru Infantry Battalions train conscripts at Jõhvi in Ida-Virumaa. Its air defence, engineer and support battalions are at Tapa. The 2nd Infantry Brigade covers southern Estonia from its headquarters in Luunja Parish near Tartu, with the Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion at Võru as its main conscript training unit. The Artillery Regiment at Tapa provides one battalion to each brigade and includes rocket artillery and loitering munition batteries. The volunteer Defence League (Kaitseliit), organised in regional districts, provides territorial light infantry.

Estonia does not field main battle tanks. Mechanised infantry operates CV9035EE vehicles from Dutch surplus stocks, whose service life is being extended after a replacement programme was halted in 2026. Motorised infantry uses Patria Pasi XA-180 and XA-188 armoured personnel carriers, and the 2nd Brigade has received Otokar Arma 6x6 and Nurol Makina NMS 4x4 armoured vehicles from Turkey. The artillery operates K9 Kõu 155 mm self-propelled howitzers, expanded by a follow-on order, and CAESAR 155 mm wheeled howitzers from France, first delivered in 2025, with a second batch ordered in 2026. M142 HIMARS launchers arrived in 2025, and K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers have been ordered from South Korea. Infantry weapons include Javelin and Spike anti-tank missiles, Carl Gustaf recoilless rifles and 81 mm and 120 mm mortars. Short-range air defence relies on Mistral and Piorun missiles, while IRIS-T SLM medium-range systems, ordered jointly with Latvia, entered service with the Air Force in 2026.

The main mission is defence against a potential Russian attack, holding the eastern border and the Narva axis until NATO reinforcements arrive. Under the Baltic Defence Line, Estonia is installing bunkers, anti-tank ditches, dragon's teeth and pre-positioned obstacle materiel along its eastern border. Estonian infantry companies fought in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, alongside British forces and took casualties, and Estonian troops also deployed to Iraq with coalition forces and to Mali under Operation Barkhane and Task Force Takuba.

Modernisation focuses on indirect fire, air defence, drones, counter-drone systems and ammunition stocks. All towed artillery, FH-70 and D-30 howitzers alike, was given to Ukraine and has been replaced by self-propelled and wheeled systems. Estonian firms supply uncrewed ground vehicles such as Milrem Robotics' THeMIS, and the state is building a defence industry park in Pärnu County and Ida-Virumaa to host ammunition and explosives production.