Opening of third radar station completes coverage over Estonia
A third radar station has been opened in Estonia, giving the Air Force a complete overview of Estonia.
The new radar is part of a joint procurement with Finland, costing Estonia 22 million euros. A larger radar is situated in Lääne-Viru County, and a mobile radar is on Muhu island.
Air Force chief Col. Jaak Tarien said that the new radar detects aircraft as far away as 470 kilometers, “Thanks to its location and a high tower, it can use the Earth's curvature to spot low flying aircraft from far off. With the new radar, the early warning capabilities of Estonia greatly improved – we see much more precisely what is happening outside of our borders.”
The new radar is integrated into Estonia's air surveillance network, which in turn is part of the NATO surveillance network.
The radar systems are important for the securing of Estonia’s independent defense capability as they give a clear picture of events in the airspace and near Estonian borders. As a member of NATO, Estonia is also required to provide elementary radar coverage on its territory and to some extent also outside of the alliance’s external border.
Editor: J.M. Laats, S. Tambur