The HIMARS missile systems ordered from the U.S. are expected to arrive in Estonia this spring or early summer. The exact quantity ordered will not be disclosed.

However, the Ministry of Defense has confirmed that it plans to order more missile systems, including the recently introduced PrSM (Precision Strike Missile), which has a range of up to 500 km, as part of the €1.6 billion the government has allocated for deep-fire capabilities.

The Ministry of Defense asked the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, whether it would fulfil the new order more quickly than currently planned.

"Yesterday, I met Lockheed Martin at the defense industry exhibition in Abu Dhabi, I gave them my very clear message – if Estonia would like to procure additional HIMARS, the offer has to be significantly faster than we currently are aware of. However, I also received the reply that Pentagon approval would then be required. So we are currently working on that," explained Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform).

Estonia wants to have new systems within a couple of years, not four or five, the minister said. Pevkur hopes to receive a reply from the Pentagon as soon as possible.

"I think that within a month or two we will have made the decision regarding which system we will go ahead with and then after than we will be able to go ahead with procurement," Pevkur said.

In the event that there is no possibility of early delivery for the HIMARS systems, Pevkur said other missile systems, such as those from South Korea, would have to be considered. Leo Kunnas (EKRE), deputy head of the Riigikogu's National Defense Committee, is of the same opinion.

"The time is now critical. Indeed, if the U.S., or Lockheed Martin, together with the U.S. administration, is unable to make this decision to accelerate, we will have to consider other alternatives," he said.

According to Kunnas, Estonia needs to increase its overall deep-fire capabilities in line with NATO standards after the transfer of various weapons systems to Ukraine.

"Increase all 155mm battalions up to 24 weapon systems – order 12 more K-9 Thunders from Korea and the same for 12 CAESARs. /.../ We had 78 weapon systems before Russia's full-scale assault on Ukraine – tracked and anti-tank combined. We are not back at that level yet," Kunnas said.

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