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The Estonian Land Forces ( et, Maavägi), unofficially referred to as the Estonian Army, is the name of the unified
ground forces An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
among the Estonian Defense Forces where it has an offensive military formation role. It is currently the largest Estonian military branch with the average size during peacetime of approximately 6,000 soldiers, conscripts, and officers. The ''Maavägi'' development priorities are the capability to participate in missions outside the national territory and the capability to perform operations to protect the territory of Estonia, also in co-operation with the Allies. The ''Maavägi'' component of the operational structure consists of an infantry brigade and a
homeland security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...
structure. Deployable infantry battalion tactical group and some deployable CS, CSS units will developed in the Army structure in accordance with NATO Force Proposals requirements. Infantry brigade will act as a training and support frame for deployable units. Homeland security structure units will have the capability to carry out territorial military tasks and support civil structures. The Land Forces are structured according to the principle of a
reserve force A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve ...
which means that the main part of the defense forces of the state are units in a trained reserve. For a state with few human and economic resources, a reserve force based on the will of defense of the citizens is the only viable form of national defense. In peacetime the reservists conduct normal lives and the state takes care of their training and the procurement of equipment and weapons. In wartime the reservists are mobilized into military units. The reserve units are formed on the territorial principle, i.e. conscripts from one area are called up at one time to one unit and after service they are sent to the reserve as one unit. The Estonian army is always in constant defense readiness in co-operation with the other services.


History

The 1st and 2nd Divisions were created during the
Estonian War of Independence The Estonian War of Independence ( et, Vabadussõda, literally "Freedom War"), also known as the Estonian Liberation War, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Bolshevik westw ...
; the 2nd Division in December 1918 and January 1919. The Scouts Single Infantry Battalion was formed on 21 December 1918. On 21 November 1928, eight 'Single Infantry Battalions' were created. The peacetime purpose of these battalions was to train conscripts. In wartime the battalion would reorganize itself into a regiment with a similar order of battle as the two initial reaction force regiments covering the eastern and southern borders. Each battalion's peacetime strength was a total 237 soldiers, in a regimental staff, a Signal Platoon, an Engineering Platoon, a Ski-Bicycle Platoon, a Building Platoon, and three infantry companies. The wartime order of battle would have transformed the battalion into a regiment size unit carrying the same unit number and would have included 3 infantry battalions, Signal Company, Engineering Company, Ski-Bicycle Company, Cavalry Company, Building Company, Commandant Commando and a CB Commando. In total of 3,153 men. The 2nd Single Infantry Battalion was located at
Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast o ...
; the 3rd Single Infantry Battalion was located at Valga; the 4th at
Jõhvi Jõhvi is a town in northeastern Estonia, and the administrative centre of the Ida-Viru County. The town is also an administrative centre of Jõhvi Parish. It is situated about 50 km west of the Estonia–Russia international border. H ...
; the 5th at
Rakvere Rakvere is a town in northern Estonia and the administrative centre of the Lääne-Viru ''maakond'' (county), 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea. Rakvere is the 8th most populous urban area in Estonia. Rakvere has a total ...
; the 6th Single Infantry Battalion was located at
Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet o ...
; the 8th Single Infantry Battalion at Valga; the 9th at
Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet o ...
; and the 10th Single Infantry Battalion was located at
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
. A reorganisation took place on 1 February 1940 and a fourth division was created. The 4th Division staff was based in
Viljandi Viljandi (, german: Fellin, sv, Fellin) is a town and municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 17,407 in 2019. It is the capital of Viljandi County and is geographically located between two major Estonian cities, Pärnu and Ta ...
. The division was made up by the Pärnu-Viljandi Military District and
Valga Military District Valga may refer to: * Valga, Estonia, a town in Estonia, and its twin town Valka in Latvia * Valga, Galicia, a town in Galicia, Spain * Valga County Valga County ( et, Valga maakond or ''Valgamaa'') is a first-level administrative unit and on ...
. The division's commander was Colonel
Jaan Maide Jaan Maide, VR II/3 (30 May 1896 – 10 August 1945) was a senior Estonian Army officer who fought in World War I, the Estonian War of Independence and World War II. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian Military by Otto Tief's go ...
. The four divisions were active until the
Soviet occupation of Estonia The Estonian SSR,, russian: Эстонская ССР officially the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic,, russian: Эстонская Советская Социалистическая Республика was an ethnically based adminis ...
. On 17 August 1940, after Estonia occupation by the
Soviets Soviet people ( rus, сове́тский наро́д, r=sovyétsky naród), or citizens of the USSR ( rus, гра́ждане СССР, grázhdanye SSSR), was an umbrella demonym for the population of the Soviet Union. Nationality policy in th ...
, the 22nd Territorial Rifle Corps of the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
was formed at
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
. It was created as a territorial Estonian body on the basis of military units and institutions of the Estonian army. All soldiers and officers kept the Estonian army 1936-spec uniforms, on which were sewn Soviet insignia. The first commander of the 22nd Territorial Rifle Corps was a former major general of the Estonian army,
Gustav Jonson Gustav Jonson (born Gustav Joonson; 7 January 1880 – 15 November 1942) was an Estonian military soldier of the Russian Empire, Estonia, and the Soviet Union.Eesti Entsüklopeedia 14: Eesti elulood. Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus, 2000. Page 112 ...
, who was later arrested by the
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union. ...
and shot. Initially, most of the corps' officer posts were occupied by former officers of the Estonian army, but by the middle of June 1941 – even before the German invasion of the Soviet Union – most of them were arrested and replaced by newcomers from the Soviet Red Army officers. Many of the Estonian officers of the 22nd Territorial Rifle Corps body were arrested and died in 1941 and 1942 in camps in the Soviet Union; many were shot. The former commander of the 180th Rifle Division, 22nd Corps,
Richard Tomberg Richard Tomberg (6 September 1897 Mõisamaa, Salla Parish – 25 May 1982 Tallinn) was an Estonian military Major General. He was the only Estonian higher military personnel, who survived Soviet times in 1940s. In 1915 he entered voluntarily int ...
, survived after dismissal only because since 1942 he has been claimed by the
Frunze Military Academy The M. V. Frunze Military Academy (russian: Военная академия имени М. В. Фрунзе), or in full the Military Order of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Academy in the name of M. V. Frunze (rus ...
as a teacher. He was arrested in February 1944 (he was released from the camp and rehabilitated in 1956). Some officers of the 22nd Rifle Corps, among whom was
Alfons Rebane Alfons Vilhelm Robert Rebane, known simply as Alfons Rebane (24 June 1908 – 8 March 1976) was an Estonian military commander. He was the most highly decorated Estonian military officer during World War II, serving in various Wehrmacht and Waffe ...
, managed to escape from the authorities in the period between the dismissal of the army and the plan for their arrest. Someone managed to escape abroad, others came out of hiding only after the arrival of German troops in July and August 1941, some of them volunteered for the Estonian units that fought on the side of Nazi Germany, or to enlist in the Estonian organisations controlled by the German authorities. The 22nd Territorial Rifle Corps was part of the 'operational army' during World War II from 22 June 1941 to 31 August 1941. On 22 June 1941 the corps headquarters was stationed in village of Rev.


Organization


Military units


Fire and maneuver team

The fire and maneuver team () is a very small Estonian military unit led by a soldier that is subordinate to an infantry
fireteam A fireteam or fire team is a small military sub-subunit of infantry designed to optimize " bounding overwatch" and " fire and movement" tactical doctrine in combat. Depending on mission requirements, a typical fireteam consists of four or few ...
. The fire and maneuver team is bigger than an individual soldier but smaller than a fireteam (). It is also the smallest military formation among the Estonian Ground Force infantry units. Estonian Defence Forces formations It usually consists of two soldiers. A fire and maneuver team is led by the more experienced soldier in the team. One fire and maneuver team is meant to operate on a battlefield along with other fire and maneuver teams on a landscale not greater than 20 x 50 metres. There are no logistical support elements in the structure of a fire and maneuver team.


Fireteam

A fireteam () is a small military unit led by a senior soldier that is subordinate to an infantry squad. A fire team is bigger than a fire and maneuver team () but smaller than a squad (). It is also one of the smallest military formation among the Estonian Ground Force infantry units. It usually consists of three to five soldiers, and may be further subdivided into fire and maneuver teams. A fireteam is composed of two fire and maneuver teams of two soldiers each, as well as a fireteam leader () who is usually a corporal (). Eesti relvajõudude ametikohtade tunnused One fireteam is meant to operate on a battlefield along with other fireteams on a landscale not greater than 50 x 100 metres. There are no logistical support elements in the structure of a fireteam.


Squad

A squad () is a small military unit led by a
non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
(NCO) that is subordinate to an infantry
platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...
. A squad is bigger than a fireteam () but smaller than a platoon (). It is also one of the smallest military formation among the Estonian Ground Force infantry units. It usually consists six to ten soldiers, and may be further subdivided into fireteams. A squad is composed of two fireteams of five soldiers each, as well as a
squad leader ''Squad Leader'' is a tactical wargames, tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill (game designer), John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of th ...
(; in Defence League ) who is usually a sergeant (). His second in command is known as a assistant squad leader ('; in Defence League ). Eesti relvajõudude ametikohtade tunnused One squad is meant to operate on a battlefield along with other squads on a landscale not greater than 100 x 200 metres. There are no logistical support elements in the structure of a squad. The formation transport is usually made up by one tactical transport vehicle such as
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquarter ...
Unimog The Unimog (, ) is a range of multi-purpose tractors, trucks and lorries that has been produced by Boehringer from 1948 until 1951, and by Daimler Truck (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler AG) since 1951. In the United States and C ...
435.


Platoon

A platoon () is a small military unit led by an officer (NCO) that is subordinate to an infantry company. A platoon is bigger than a squad () but smaller than a company (). It is also one of the smallest military formations among the Estonian Ground Force infantry units. Estonian Defence Forces formations It usually consists thirty to fifty soldiers, and is further subdivided into squads. A platoon is composed of five squads of ten soldiers each, as well as a
platoon leader {{unreferenced, date=February 2013 A platoon leader ( NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or f ...
(; in Defence League ) who is usually a
junior lieutenant Junior lieutenant is a junior officer rank in several countries, equivalent to Sub-lieutenant. Germany In the National People's Army, the rank of () was introduced in 1956. Eastern Europe In many Eastern European countries, the rank of junior l ...
(). His second in command is known as a
platoon sergeant In many militaries, a platoon sergeant is the senior enlisted member of a platoon, who advises and supports the platoon's commanding officer in leading the unit. Singapore In the Singapore Armed Forces, a platoon sergeant serves as the bridge ...
(; in Defence League ). One platoon is meant to operate on a battlefield along with other platoons on a landscale not greater than 300 × 400 metres. There is no logistical support element in the structure of a platoon. The formation transport is usually made up by three to five tactical transport vehicles such as Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG 435.


Company

A company () is a medium military unit led by a junior officer that is subordinate to an infantry battalion. A company is bigger than a platoon () but smaller than a battalion (). It is one of the most basic military formation among the Estonian Ground Force infantry units. It usually consists 180 to 250 soldiers, and is further subdivided into platoons. A company is composed of five platoons of thirty to fifty soldiers each, as well as a company leader () who is usually a captain (). His second in command is lieutenant as an assistant of the battalion (). One company is meant to operate on a battlefield along with other companies on a landscale not greater than 500 x 500 metres. There is a logistical support element in the structure of a company which is based on a reserve platoon. The formation transport is usually made up by twenty tactical transport vehicles such as Mercedes-Benz Unimog 435.


Battalion

A battalion () is an average military unit led by a senior officer that is subordinate to an infantry brigade. A battalion is bigger than a company () but smaller than a brigade (). It is one of the most basic military formation among the Estonian Ground Force infantry units. It usually consists of 900 to 1250 soldiers, and is further subdivided into companies. A battalion is composed of five companies of 180 to 250 soldiers each, as well as a company leader () who is usually a
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
(). His second in command is a colonel as an assistant of the battalion (). One battalion is meant to operate on a battlefield along with other battalion on a landscale not greater than 1500 x 3000 metres. There is a logistical support element in the structure of a battalion which is based on a reserve company. The formation transport is usually made up by 200 tactical transport vehicles such as Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG 435.


Brigade

A brigade () is commanded by a senior officer that is subordinate to an
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine ...
division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
. A brigade is bigger than a battalion () but smaller than a division (). It is currently the largest military structure that the Estonian infantry can field. An Estonian brigade consists of 5,000 to 8,750 soldiers, and is subdivided into battalions. A brigade is made up of seven battalions of 900 to 1,250 soldiers each, commanded by a
Brigade Commander A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...
() who is usually a colonel (). His second in command is a Lieutenant Colonel. In the future, a brigade will operate on the battlefield alongside other brigades on a sector not greater than 10 x 15 kilometres. There is a logistical support element in the structure of a brigade based on a reserve battalion. The transportation component of an Estonian brigade consists of approximately 1,500 tactical transport vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG 435.


County brigade

A county brigade or is a military unit led by a senior officer that is subordinate to an infantry division. The term ''malev'' is historical. It was originally based on the manpower of a county and was led by a county leader (). A ''malev'' was bigger than a battalion () and smaller than a division (). It was the largest military formation among the Estonian Defense League infantry units. A ''malev'' is usually a sub-component of a division, a larger unit consisting of two or more ''malevs''; however, some brigades are classified as a separate brigade and operate independently from the traditional division structure. A ''malevs
commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitud ...
is commonly a major or colonel. A modern ''malev'' is typically composed of three to five companies or battalions, depending on the area and available manpower of a given county. Each ''malev'' can operate independently on a battlefield encompassing an area of 10 km × 15 km.


Division

A division () is a large military unit led by a general that is subordinate to a corps (). The division is bigger than a brigade () but smaller than a corps. There are currently no divisions among the Estonian Ground Force infantry units. It usually consists of 20,000 to 35,000 soldiers, and is further subdivided into brigades. A division is composed of two to four brigades 5000 to 8750 soldiers each, as well as a division leader () who is usually a major general (). His second in command is a brigadier general () as an assistant of the division (). One division is meant to operate on a battlefield along with other divisions on a front which covers more than two counties. There is a logistical support element in the structure of a division which is based on a reserve brigade. The formation transport is usually made up by 5000 to 7000 tactical transport vehicles such as Mercedes-Benz Unimog 435.


Peacetime structure

; The two brigades are not fully manned in peacetime. The only units fully manned at all times are the two brigade commands, the Scouts Battalion and the EOD/Demining Service. The 2nd Infantry Brigade was activated on 1 August 2014. The brigade will continue to activate further units to reach full strength by 2022 at the latest. In parallel the 1st Infantry Brigade will become a mechanized brigade with tracked
infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forc ...
s and self-propelled artillery. In wartime the two brigades will be brought to full strength with reserve soldiers. Besides the two Land Force brigades the Estonian Defense Forces also field a large number of smaller light infantry units of the Estonian Defense League, which are tasked with local defense respectively
stay-behind In a stay-behind operation, a country places secret operatives or organizations in its own territory, for use in case an enemy occupies that territory. If this occurs, the operatives would then form the basis of a resistance movement or act as sp ...
operations. * Defence Forces Commander, in Tallinn ** 1st Infantry Brigade, in Tapa *** Headquarters Support and Signal Company, in Tapa *** Scouts Battalion, in Tapa, professional rapid reaction unit armed with CV-90s *** Kalev Infantry Battalion, in
Jõhvi Jõhvi is a town in northeastern Estonia, and the administrative centre of the Ida-Viru County. The town is also an administrative centre of Jõhvi Parish. It is situated about 50 km west of the Estonia–Russia international border. H ...
*** Viru Infantry Battalion, in Jõhvi *** Artillery Battalion, in Tapa *** Air Defense Battalion, in Tapa *** Engineer Battalion, in Tapa *** Combat Service Support Battalion, in Tapa *** Reconnaissance Company, in Tapa *** Anti-Tank Company, in Jõhvi ** 2nd Infantry Brigade, in Luunja *** Headquarters Support and Signal Company, in Luunja ***
Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion The Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion ( et, Kuperjanovi jalaväepataljon) is a battalion of the Estonian Land Forces. It is a part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Battalion headquarters is at Taara Army Base, Võru. History Estonian War of Independen ...
, in
Võru Võru (; vro, Võro; german: Werro) is a town and a municipality in south-eastern Estonia. It is the capital of Võru County and the centre of Võru Parish. History Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, according to the wish of the Empress Cathe ...
*** 22nd Infantry Battalion (reserve) *** 23rd Infantry Battalion (reserve) *** 25th Artillery Battalion (reserve) *** Air Defense Battalion (reserve) *** Engineer Battalion (reserve) *** Combat Service Support Battalion, in Võru *** Reconnaissance Company (reserve) *** Anti-Tank Company (reserve)


Personnel

Land Forces has more than 2,700 full time soldiers and 3,100 conscripts. There were only 15 women in 2013 in conscript service. Previously there was one fully professional infantry battalion – ( Scouts Battalion) in the Land Forces. However, since 2017, the unit also trains conscripts in mechanized infantry role.


Training

Estonian Land Forces organizes Spring Storm ('' Kevadtorm'') exercises every year. 9,000 soldiers participated in this exercise in 2017.


Ranks

} , colspan=2, , colspan=2, ''kin'' , colspan=2, ''kin-ltn'' , colspan=2, ''kin-mjr'' , colspan=2, ''brig-kin'' , colspan=2, ''kol'' , colspan=2, ''kol-ltn'' , colspan=2, ''mjr'' , colspan=2, ''kpt'' , colspan=2, ''ltn'' , colspan=2, ''n-ltn'' , colspan=2, ''lpn'' , -style="text-align:center;" , ''
Ranks'' , colspan=2, , colspan=2, General , colspan=2,
Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
, colspan=2,
Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
, colspan=2,
Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to ...
, colspan=2, Colonel , colspan=2,
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, colspan=2, Major , colspan=2,
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, colspan=2,
First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...
, colspan=2,
Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
, colspan=2,
Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be differ ...
} , colspan=3, ''ü-vbl'' , colspan=3, ''st-vbl'' , colspan=2, ''v-vbl'' , colspan=2, ''vbl'' , colspan=6, ''n-vbl'' , colspan=6, ''v-srs'' , colspan=2, ''srs'' , colspan=2, ''n-srs'' , colspan=2, , colspan=6, ''kpr'' , colspan=2, ''rms'' , -style="text-align:center;" , ''
Ranks'' , colspan=3, Sergeant Major of Land Forces , colspan=3,
Sergeant Major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in the ...
, colspan=2, Master Sergeant , colspan=2, Sergeant First Class , colspan=6,
Staff Sergeant Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administrative, superv ...
, colspan=6,
Sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other un ...
, colspan=2,
Sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other un ...
, colspan=2,
Sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other un ...
, colspan=2, , colspan=6, Corporal , colspan=2,
Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...


Equipment


Weapons

Although the defense force employs various individual weapons to provide light firepower at short ranges, the standard weapons used by the ground force are the domestically upgraded variants of the 7.62mm AK4 and 5.56mm Galil-AR assault rifles, both of which are scheduled to be replaced by 2021, as well as the 9mm variant of the
MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...
submachine gun A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to describe its design concept as an automa ...
for
special operations force Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
. The primary sidearms are the 9x18mm Makarov PM and the 9x19mm USP
semi-automatic pistol A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single- chamber handgun (pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actu ...
s. Some units are supplemented with a variety of specialized weapons, including the Galil-ARM and
Negev The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its sout ...
light machine gun A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the s ...
, to provide suppressive fire at the fire-team level. Indirect fire is provided by the M-69 and CG M3 grenade launchers. The 18.53mm Benelli-M3T dual-mode shotgun is used for door breaching and close-quarters combat. The domestically produced modification of the 7.62mm M14 selective fire automatic rifle TP2 and
Galil The IMI Galil ( he, גליל) is a family of Israeli-made automatic rifles chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. Originally designed by Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior in the late 1960s, the Galil was first produced ...
-S are used by the snipers, along with the 8.6mm
Sako TRG The Sako TRG is a bolt-action sniper rifle line designed and manufactured by Finnish firearms manufacturer SAKO of Riihimäki. The TRG-21 and TRG-22 are designed to fire standard .308 Winchester (7.62×51mm NATO) sized cartridges, while the TRG-4 ...
and 12.7mm Hecate II heavy sniper rifles are used long-range marksmen. Hand grenades, fragmentation and smoke grenades along with the grenade launcher systems, such as the HK-GLM and HK-79N, are also used. The defense force also employs various crew-served weapons to provide medium and heavy firepower at ranges exceeding that of individual weapons. The 7.62mm MG-3 and KSP-58 are the ground force standard medium machine guns. The 12.7mm Browning M2HB heavy machine gun is generally used as a vehicle-mounted machine gun used by
motorised infantry Motorized infantry is infantry that is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles, and from light infantry, which ca ...
. The ground force uses two types of mortar for indirect fire support when heavier artillery may not be appropriate or available. The smallest of these are the 81mm M252, B455 and L16A1 mortars that normally assigned at the infantry company level. At higher echelon, infantry battalions are supported by a section of 120mm M-41D and 2B11 mortars, which are usually employed by motorized units. Fire support for infantry units is provided by towed howitzers, including the lighter 122mm D-30H63 and heavier 155mm FH-70 field howitzers. The ground force uses a variety of shoulder fired missiles,
recoilless rifle A recoilless rifle, recoilless launcher or recoilless gun, sometimes abbreviated "RR" or "RCL" (for ReCoilLess) is a type of lightweight artillery system or man-portable launcher that is designed to eject some form of countermass such as propel ...
s and
anti-tank guided missile An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder- ...
s to provide infantry and mechanized units with an anti-armor capability. The 82mm B-300 is a reusable man-portable anti-tank
shoulder-fired missile A shoulder-fired missile, shoulder-launched missile, man-portable rocket launcher, or man-portable missile is a rocket-propelled explosive projectile small enough to be carried by a single person and fired while held on one's shoulder. The w ...
system. The 84mm
AT4 The AT4 is a Swedish unguided, man-portable, disposable, shoulder-fired recoilless anti-tank weapon built by Saab Bofors Dynamics (previously Bofors Anti-Armour Systems and before that FFV Ordance). The AT4 is not considered a rocket launc ...
is an unguided projectile that can destroy armor and bunkers at ranges up to 500 meters. The 90mm C90-CR is a disposable, shoulder-fired and one-man operated grenade launcher. Some motorized units are supported by Pvpj 1110 and M40-A1 recoilless rifles that are mounted on high-mobility utility vehicles. The 115mm
MILAN Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city has ...
-2 with the night-firing ability and 148mm MAPATS laser-beam riding anti-tank guided missiles are the ground forces' main anti-tank weapon systems. The purchase of the 127mm
FGM-148 Javelin The FGM-148 Javelin, or Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium (AAWS-M), is an American-made portable anti-tank missile system in service since 1996, and continuously upgraded. It replaced the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in US service. Its fir ...
fire-and-forget anti-tank missiles will increase the ground forces' anti-armor units capabilities. The 90mm Mistral is an infrared homing surface-to-air missile, which along with the 23mm
ZU-23-2 The ZU-23-2, also known as ZU-23, is a Soviet towed 23×152mm anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon. ZU stands for ''Zenitnaya Ustanovka'' (Russian: Зенитная Установка) – anti-aircraft mount. The GRAU index is 2A13. Developm ...
twin-barreled anti-aircraft cannons mounted on trucks make up the backbone of the defense forces' air defense.


Vehicles

The ground force currently does not operate any
main battle tanks A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sy ...
although some types were in service of the ground force till the
Soviet occupation During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into two different ...
in 1940. In recent years the Estonian MoD has indicated a need to obtain main battle tanks by 2020 according to the national defense development plan. As 2014, the
infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forc ...
CV9035 is the ground force's main battle and frontline
troop carrier A troop carrier is a means of transporting soldiers. A troop carrier vehicle may be configured for troop transport while used for other purposes at other times. Examples The Douglas C-47 Skytrain is an aircraft used as a troop carrier; the ...
vehicle, is fitted with a 35mm autocannon turret, and carries up to 8 fully equipped soldiers. The ground force's most common armored vehicles are the
Pasi Pasi may refer to: * Pasi (caste), a Hindu caste of northern India * ''Pasi'' (film), a 1979 Tamil film * Pasi (given name) * Pasi (surname), a surname of the Pasi community * Pasi, Papua New Guinea, a settlement near the coast of Sandaun Provinc ...
series armored personnel carriers of which some have been fitted into ambulance and command post vehicles roles. The similar Pasi 180 and Pasi 188 armored personnel carriers are the standard troop carrier vehicles of the ground forces. The Pasi XA-180's, which were acquired first, have also been used by the defense forces expeditionary units on peacekeeping operations in Central Asia and
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
. In recent years BTR-80 amphibious armored personnel carriers have been used as training vehicles and are now being phased out. Although the ground force currently does not operate any
self-propelled howitzer Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled m ...
s or multiple launch rocket systems the Estonian MoD has also indicated a need to obtain self-propelled howitzers for the 1st Infantry Brigade which will be transformed into a mechanized brigade. While the ground force does not have any utility helicopters,
attack helicopter An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their heavy armament they ...
s or aircraft of its own, it does operate several types of
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
s and
rotorcraft A rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft with rotary wings or rotor blades, which generate lift by rotating around a vertical mast. Several rotor blades mounted on a single mast are referred to as a rotor. The Interna ...
s. Currently there are no operational armed drones in service of the ground force. In 2014, the Estonian MoD announced that Estonia, along with 12 other NATO members, plans to purchase
Global Hawk The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, remotely-piloted surveillance aircraft of the 1990s–2020s. It was initially designed by Ryan Aeronautical (now part of Northrop Grumman), and known as Tier II+ during development. The ...
drone to increase its
military reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmishers, ...
capabilities. The defense force's most common vehicles are the
Unimog The Unimog (, ) is a range of multi-purpose tractors, trucks and lorries that has been produced by Boehringer from 1948 until 1951, and by Daimler Truck (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler AG) since 1951. In the United States and C ...
and DAF series general-purpose trucks and light utility vehicles such as Unimog 416, Unimog 435, DAF YA4440, and MB 250GD. There are also variety of different
MAN A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromo ...
and
Sisu SiSU (SiSU information structuring universe or Structured information, serialized units), is a Unix command line-oriented framework for document structuring, publishing and search. Usage Using markup applied to a document, or a collection of do ...
built military logistics vehicles, such as MAN 4520, 4620, 4640, KAT1, and Sisu E13TP, in use of the ground force, which are capable of serving as a cargo/troop carrier, artillery tractors, weapons platform and ambulance, among other roles.


Uniforms

The ESTDCU, is the Estonian version of the digital camouflage uniform and its various patterns are designed for use in woodland, desert, urban and winter warfare environments. Soldiers of Estonian Land Force also get the
PASGT Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops (PASGT, pronounced ) is a combat helmet and ballistic vest that was used by the United States military from the early 1980s until the mid-2000s, when the helmet and vest were succeeded by the Lightweight ...
combat helmet and ballistic vest and a
night vision device A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The dev ...
.


Defense development plan

What follows is a partial list of planned and ongoing equipment procurements for the Land Forces: ;Small arms and light weapons * Assault rifles: 19,000 LMT R20 Rahe rifles purchased in 2019. All units to equipped with the new rifle by 2022. *Machine guns: new machine guns to be procured between 2021 and 2024. *
Sniper rifle A sniper rifle is a high-precision, long-range rifle. Requirements include accuracy, reliability, mobility, concealment and optics for anti-personnel, anti-materiel and surveillance uses of the military sniper. The modern sniper rifle is a por ...
s: new sniper rifles to be procured between 2021 and 2024. ;Armored vehicles *
Armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Ac ...
s: 100–300 new 6x6 APCs to replace current Sisu XA-188 and XA-180 models by 2030. ; Self-propelled artillery * 18
K9 Thunder The K9 Thunder is a South Korean 155 mm self-propelled howitzer designed and developed by the Agency for Defense Development and civil contractors including Dongmyeong Heavy Industries, Kia Heavy Industry, Poongsan Corporation, and Samsung Aer ...
, expected to arrive in 2021. ;Anti-tank systems *
Spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...
~ 18 LR launchers to be delivered in 2021.


References


External links


Estonian Land Forces

Estonian Ministry of Defence

Estonian Land Forces Insignia
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