"Ammunition production in Europe is on an upward trend, but production capacities are still lagging behind current needs," Pevkur said.

"For our part, we are ready to create all of the prerequisites for starting ammunition production in Estonia."

The state plans to build a defense industrial park spanning up to 100 hectares, which must be able to accommodate an ammunition plant and explosives handling facilities. The national special plan and strategic environmental impact assessment will be initiated for four locations across three municipalities: Lääne-Nigula and Lüganuse municipalities and the Audru and Tõstamaa municipal districts of the city of Pärnu.

"We want to promote the production of military weapons, ammunition and munitions in Estonia," Pevkur said.

"One obstacle for businesses is the costly and time-consuming process of spatial planning for suitable land. With an industrial park, the state can create that suitable environment. Production itself must be based on market economy principles and be export-oriented."

The purpose of the national special plan is to establish a defense industrial park for the production of ammunition, munitions, explosive materials and explosives, as well as the required infrastructure. The plan will set out the exact location of the industrial park and the conditions for the design and construction of its basic infrastructure and production facilities.

"At the moment, there are four sites we have to choose from, and the most suitable one will be identified in the course of national special planning," Indrek Sirp, a special adviser on defense industry development with the Ministry of Defense, said.

"The national special plan is necessary because the park will have a significant spatial impact, there is a strong national interest in its creation, and we need to determine a suitable location."

In addition, the Ministry of Defense will study possibilities for and the feasibility of the production of explosives.

"Explosives production is by its very nature a chemical industry and, therefore, requires more resources than ammunition production, for example, water and energy," Sirp said.

"We are analyzing the feasibility of explosives production in Estonia. National special planning also provides us with the opportunity to find a location for an explosives plant."

Sirp said the aim is to find a single location for the defense industrial park within the four planning areas. "However, the pre-selection stage of the planning process may also result in the establishment of different locations for different production units of the industrial park, such as explosives and ammunition production," he added.

In order to identify and minimize the environmental impact of the industrial park and the activities of the companies operating there, a strategic environmental impact assessment will be carried out at the same time as the planning process, together with other relevant economic, cultural, social and nature-specific impact assessments.

The industrial park has been planned with ammunition production requirements in mind. The state will develop the necessary basic infrastructure, after which the interested companies will be able to build their own production facilities. The park will enable the production of small-, medium- and large-calibre ammunition.

The Ministry of Defense aims to complete the planning process within 1.5 years. Production at the new facilities could begin within 2.5 years.

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