The vehicles were procured by the State Defense Investment Center (RKIK), and Tuesday's shipment, at the port of Paldiski, west of Tallinn, was the second batch of a €2.2-million tender.

The first consignment arrived last year.

Tuesday's order totaled 80 four-wheel-drive off-road vehicles and 20 trucks, all procured from the Netherlands. The vehicles are used, which the RKIK says is a more cost-effective way of procuring support vehicles.

RKIK vehicle and equipment category manager Toomas Kalda told ERR that: "Buying used wheeled vehicles is extremely sensible ... it is more rational and effective to spend limited taxpayer resources budgeted to us on weapons that actually play a much bigger role on the battlefield."

Kalda added that Tuesday's procurement would have been around €1.6 million more expensive if bought new.

However, the practice has become more difficult, as allied nations such as the Netherlands, which is in NATO, are retaining more of their own equipment than they did a decade ago, which may mean a greater proportion of new vehicles being bought in future, Kalda added.

The latest consignment which arrived Tuesday has a shelf-life of around 15 years and was reported in good condition on arrival.

There is also an element of circular economy about the process, AK reported, since Estonian contractors are engaged in maintenance of the vehicles going forward, and EDF personnel do not have to retrain on unfamiliar equipment.

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