Estonian division develops capabilities
British Army Archer SPH photographed at the EDF's base in Tapa on 22 September. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)
Janes learned about the development of the Estonian division during a visit by international journalists on 22 September 2026 to the Estonian Defence Forces' (EDF's) base at Tapa, where briefings were given under the Chatham House rule.
The division was re-established on 8 December 2022 and certified between July 2023 and March 2024, ending with command post exercise ‘Warfighter' at the end of that period. The formation's capability development as a warfighting division has continued in 2024-26.
The Estonian division is preparing to defend itself immediately in a close fight on the border if it faces a Russian military attack, reaching into Russia kinetically. The division's artillery battalion consists of six High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) with a range exceeding 300 km as well as K9 and CAESAR self-propelled howitzers (SPHs). Estonia is procuring three more HIMARS and nine Chunmoo MRLs, the latter with a range of up to 290 km.
The Estonian division is composed of the 1st and 2nd Estonian brigades and the UK's 4th Light Brigade Combat Team with an attached French battlegroup held at readiness in the UK and France, respectively, to rapidly deploy to Estonia. Pending the Pentagon's force posture review, the division is reinforced by a US rotational unit.
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