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UK forces in Estonia to transition to a Mobile Anti-Armour Force, better suited to the challenges of modern warfare.
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Move will see UK troops in Estonia increase to 1,200, equipped with high-tech kit.
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New defence roadmap, signed by Defence Secretary during visit to Tallinn, will deepen cooperation across defence, industry, and innovation.
European security will be strengthened by a new UK-Estonia defence roadmap that will deepen military cooperation, strengthen NATO’s eastern flank and modernise the UK’s Forward Land Forces presence in Estonia for the challenges of modern warfare.
The new agreement sets out cooperation across defence, industry, capability development and military innovation, building on the vital partnership between the two nations.
As part of the roadmap, the UK Forward Land Forces in Estonia will transition from an Armoured Battlegroup to a Mobile Anti-Armour Force (MAAF) from April 2027 to strengthen the defence and deterrence of Estonia, as a key part of NATO.
The Mobile Anti-Armour Force – equipped with highly mobile vehicles, advanced weapons, and high-tech drones – will be specifically designed for Estonia’s operational environment.
This transition will see the UK’s contribution to NATO’s Forward Land Forces in Estonia increase from approximately 800 troops to a force of 1,200 – bringing greater specialist expertise and increased resilience.
The evolution draws on lessons learned from the war in Ukraine and ensures our military partnership reflects the realities of modern conflict.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis today (16th July) signed the Roadmap alongside his Estonian counterpart Minister Hanno Pevkur during a visit to Tallinn.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP said
We are strengthening our deployment in Estonia to defend NATO territory and deter Russian aggression. This new roadmap reflects the realities of warfare today and shows how we are modernising our forces to meet the threats we face.
More people, better mobility, and the latest tech means a more lethal and effective force, ready to fight and win alongside allies.
Estonian Minister for Defence Hanno Pevkur said
Next year nearly 1,200 British soldiers will arrive in Estonia, equipped with modern weaponry that is well suited to the local environment. In addition, an entire British Army brigade in the United Kingdom will continue to be maintained at constant readiness to come to our assistance if needed.
Already this year, the United Kingdom will begin pre-positioning equipment and ammunition stocks in Estonia for our reinforcement brigade, enabling the unit to respond significantly faster in a crisis situation.
British troops have been stationed here for almost ten years, and the decision to deploy additional troops further reinforces the close cooperation between our two countries and the United Kingdom’s long-term commitment to our shared security.
The decision was made based on extensive analysis, including comprehensive wargaming with Estonia, which showed that the new force design would deliver greater operational effect than the current armoured construct.
Equipped with highly mobile vehicle platforms and integrated within the UK’s recce-strike concept, the force will be able to deploy, disperse and demonstrate combat readiness more rapidly than a traditional armoured formation.
The new force will deliver
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Greater mobility, enabling the force respond to threats faster.
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Enhanced survivability, through increased dispersal, deception and adaptability in the face of modern surveillance and strike capabilities.
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Greater endurance, supported by the forward positioning of equipment stocks in Estonia.
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Increased lethality, through integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, networked command and control, precision fires and expanded uncrewed systems.
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Hundreds of additional personnel, providing greater resilience and specialisation.
The roadmap also commits the UK to further upgrades across its wider Forward Land Forces offer. This includes upgrading existing Multiple Launch Rocket System kit with these systems becoming more precise and more lethal, maintaining Short Range Air Defence capabilities, and continuing to modernise the force through future rotations as new technologies and capabilities become available.
The UK and Estonia will also expand cooperation on emerging technologies and military innovation.
Central to this will be deeper collaboration on ASGARD, the UK’s battlefield digitisation and targeting programme, which harnesses artificial intelligence, digital targeting and advanced command-and-control systems to deliver combat effects faster and more precisely.
The roadmap reinforces cooperation through the Joint Expeditionary Force, ensuring the UK and Estonia continue to work closely with northern European allies to strengthen regional security and collective defence.
The UK’s commitment to Estonia remains ironclad and the evolution of the Forward Land Forces offer will deliver a stronger, more lethal and more capable force for the future.
