Defensive bunker prototype testing to start in autumn
The state is to start installing defensive bunkers in border zones from next year, with the procurement estimated at €60 million.
Three options are to be tested out before a final design is chosen.
A total of 600 section bunkers are planned for installation nationwide. The concrete chambers will be placed underground in a cut and cover-type method.
Kimmo Liivak, board member at Warren Concrete, said the solutions on offer vary in cost, production time, and installation time.
Speaking to "Aktuaalne kaamera," Liivak said: "The weight, plus the type of reinforced concrete elements we use to produce these bunkers, are crucial factors."
"Simply put, if we were to manufacture the entire bunker in one piece, we would essentially be transporting air, given that they are hollowed out inside in order to accommodate equipment and personnel," Liivak continued.
"However, if we cast them in sections, we will be transporting a solid mass, making the transportation, handling, and storage more space-efficient, which also results in cost savings," Liivak added.
In addition to bunkers, other defensive obstacles under preparation will include anti-tank barriers, concrete dragon's teeth, razor wire, and anti-tank mines. These would only be put in place in the event of conflict.
Taking the example of Israel, where concrete shelters installed on the streets for air raid alerts are typically cast in one piece, Liivak said that their task is to design a bunker that can withstand heavy umpact.
"Our goal is to design a solution which meets the requirements for people inside to survive," Liivak said.
The Estonian Defense Forces be testing the prototypes in December, firing 155-millimeter shells to do so.
The Estonian Center for Defense Investments (RKIK) will select the most suitable option based on this.
The procurement process for bunker prototypes has concluded, while bunker locations will be determined by the end of the year.
Kadi-Kai Kollo, head of the infrastructure department at RKIK, said that negotiations with any private landowners affected will start by the new year, adding the ideal scenario would involve the bunkers being installed on state-owned land.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Merili Nael
Source: 'Aktuaalne kaamera.'
