The government has earmarked €1.6 billion for the acquisition of additional munitions through to 2031.

Speaking to "Aktuaalne kaamera," Merilo said: "Today a decision has been made to put this money to use. If the situation should become more critical, funds will be reallocated as needed." He advised against getting too fixated on being tied to the numbers over a long time frame.

"Aktuaalne kaamera" asked whether the government's long-term plan, which aims to ensure the EDF has the necessary munitions by 2028 to prevent war from reaching Estonian soil, implies that the country must account for the possibility of war arriving before then.

This funding is necessary to ensure that, from the onset of a conflict, the devastating effects of war can be confined largely to enemy territory.

While these allocated funds won't solve all of Estonia's security challenges, they represent an important step forward, Maj. Gen. Merilo noted.

The €1.6 billion is based on an EDF initial estimate to build the capabilities necessary to immediately push the impact of war back onto enemy territory at the start of a conflict.

The EDF is aware of the exact order in which the necessary equipment will be acquired, the commander added.

Merilo said the cost of munitions is an estimate and a dynamic process that continues to evolve.

"However, it would be wrong to say that €1.6 billion will solve all of our security issues; it certainly will not do. What it will allow us to do is take a big step forward and shift our conceptual approach to warfare, which is the foundation of modern combat," he went on.

The EDF already has ammunition stockpiled for the defense of the nation, he added.

Also talking to "Aktuaalne kaamera," Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) disagreed with a recent expert assessment that munitions procurement should happen more rapidly and not be delayed until 2031.

"The urgency lies in signing the contracts," he said.

"If we want to purchase long-range weaponry for 2028 or 2029, when wait times are particularly long, then we need to sign those contracts now. That's why we asked the government for special permission to take on obligations beyond the usual four-year period," Pevkur said.

Maj. Gen. Merilo noted that the Estonian Center for Defense Investments (RKIK) is also working closely with the Ministry of Defense, to ensure that the munitions are delivered as quickly as possible. "The new items will arrive as quickly as possible," he said, referring to stocks already ordered and paid for.

RKIK director Magnus-Valdemar Saar said the country already has fixed-price framework agreements in place for most of the required supplies and it now comes down to a matter of placing larger orders, which could happen in 2025, "and certainly by 2026 we will receive more."

"I think the biggest challenge will be with technically complex systems, such as guided missile systems and precision missile systems. Lead times for these are the longest; finding alternatives the hardest," Saar noted.

Merilo also thanked both the government for finding the resources requested and the Estonian people for enduring "the tax hikes with honor and strength."

In worst-case scenarios, other cuts that could be made if it came down to existential questions could be, for instance, scrapping the Rail Baltica terminal and using the €1 billion earmarked for that on defense, Merilo added.

Merilo presented his plan to the Riigikogu's National Defense Committee Thursday; committee chair Kalev Stoicescu (Eesti 200) spoke approvingly of the plan.

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