Estonia will acquire a significant quantity of loitering munitions in the near future, in order to significantly increase its indirect fire capability as a consequence of Russian aggression.
“It is impossible to overestimate the importance of indirect fire in the development of Estonia’s defence capability, as the aggressor nation Russia has caused destruction in Ukraine mostly with indirect fire strikes,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur, who introduced the topic at the government cabinet meeting on Thursday.
With the procurement to be implemented in the near future, the Defence Forces will have the ability to attack the enemy with loitering munitions from a greater distance, Pevkur said.
Indirect fire is firing at a target that the gunner cannot see. Used to accomplish this are, for example, mortars, artillery, multiple rocket launchers, or loitering munitions. One of the combat objectives of indirect fire capability is to attack the enemy’s own indirect fire units.
According to Pevkur, it is one of Estonia’s largest defence procurements, but it would not be prudent to specify the exact amount due to the pending status of the procurement.