US to bolster military presence in Estonia
HIMARS systems (Photo:Estonian Ministry of Defence)
The United States will soon send a HIMARS rocket artillery platoon and an infantry company to Estonia, and will also participate in the formation of a joint NATO division in the country, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said during a press briefing on Dec. 8.
“The HIMARS platoon and infantry company will arrive in Estonia before Christmas," Estonian public broadcaster ERR quotes Pevkur.
The minister noted that "this decision shows the continued commitment of the United States to strengthen the security of our region and significantly enhances the defensive capabilities of NATO."
Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Martin Herem, added that "the HIMARS platoon will interact with various units, which can be seen all over Estonia, especially during the Spring Storm exercises."
He also said that the Estonian and U.S. military would cooperate in forming NATO's divisional structure and that Estonia will join the U.S. Warfighter exercise program.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, the United States developed plans to significantly increase its permanent presence in the Baltics.
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