The Estonian Navy needs three large ships about 90 meters long and nine smaller ships 60-70 meters long.
As reported by Ukrinform, this was stated by Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, ERR reports.
According to the head of the Estonian defense ministry, if there are problems with funding, concessions will have to be made. The service life of the country’s existing ships may also be extended.
Pevkur said that the new ships should be built in Estonia.
“In the case of vessels of this size, we are talking primarily about two builders – Baltic Workboats and BLRT. But I do not rule out that small shipbuilders will also bring their capabilities to the point where they can build smaller vessels,” the minister said.
It is noted that Lithuania has already decided to build new warships. BLRT has commissioned its Lithuanian company Western Baltic Engineering in cooperation with the Danish company OSK Design to design the 88-meter warship Perkunas.
The naval commanders of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania discussed back in 2017 what the new fleet should look like. According to the Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, Major General Andrus Merilo, the Estonian Navy has an idea of what kind of ships they need.
“It is much more important for us to find long-term financing that will form the basis for the further development of the Navy’s ships. We need to find resources, and this work is already underway. Obviously, we will find these resources. And we are drawing up a plan for when and what kind of ships will be built,” Merilo said.
The article says that Estonia has commissioned the Swedish national research institute RISE to analyze which vessel would be suitable for military, border guard and rescue functions, as well as pollution control.
“The main desire is to get an idea of what kind of vessel would be most suitable for the Baltic region or the Baltic Sea, which would provide the Navy with multifunctionality,” Pevkur said, adding that a recommendation from RISE should come in the coming months.
As reported by Ukrinform, the Estonian State Defense Investment Center signed a €50 million contract with Austrian arms manufacturer Hirtenberger Defense Europe for the purchase of 120 mm towed mortars.