Militarnyi
Estonia is prepared to spend more than €1 billion to acquire new air defense systems capable of countering ballistic missiles.
According to ERR, the Estonian military plans to decide this spring which surface-to-air missile systems to purchase and in what quantities.
The options currently under consideration include the U.S.-made Patriot system, the Franco-Italian SAMP/T, and Israel’s David’s Sling.
Under a preliminary minimum scenario, Estonia estimates that procuring new air defense systems would cost several hundred million euros.
At the same time, under the maximum scenario, total spending on surface-to-air missile systems could exceed €1 billion.
The launchers are expected to be delivered to Estonia at the beginning of the next decade.
When selecting a system, authorities will consider not only procurement costs but also full life-cycle costs, including personnel, training, operations, and long-term maintenance.