The vessel is due for completion by next fall, and is being built by Baltic Workboats (BWB) in Nasva, as part of the EUROGUARD project, one of the European Defense Funds' largest initiatives.

BWB consultant and former navy commander Jüri Saska said: "The primary function being built in is surveillance. And also some weapon systems. All additional systems — such as anti-submarine warfare, surface ship defense, air defense, mine countermeasures — will be developed in a way that no separate module will be added, but the integration has been thoroughly worked out and developed."

Estonia has the leading role in the consortium of 10 nations, and one-third of the project's €95 million budget will remain in Estonia.

This vessel is intended also to demonstrate that Estonia is capable of leading a world-class project. This means that for BWB, even as the company has built 260 vessels so far, the 261st will be its highest-stakes construction.

Company CEO Margus Vanaselja said: "Whereas before we have built semi-military vessels for defense purposes and also smaller warships, this is now a fully proper warship. Plus the fact that our small company, in little Estonia, is capable of leading such an important project to bolster the entire security of Europe, and that we are a very important part of that."

Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said he does not rule out the Estonian Navy acquiring a vessel of this kind for itself in the future too. However, some other types of vessels should be completed first for the navy, whose procurement is currently in the preparation phase. The defense minister believes that the warships needed for Estonia should be built in Estonia.

"Very soon we need to enter into a contract to build a new ship. And to do that, the Navy is in the final stages of a concept paper, where we must decide what type of ship it will be. Because we will not order just one ship. If we order, then we order three or four ships at once and then just stagger them over the years," the minister added.

When the project was announced in early 2024, its cost was estimated at €95 million, with €35 million to come from participating nations and private sector companies and the rest from the EUROGUARD funds.
EUROGUARD aims to develop a modular and semi-autonomous surface vessel platform with a remote control system which could be used across European waters.

An ongoing investigation into BWB reportedly will not affect the progress of the EUROGUARD project and the semi-autonomous vessel's construction.

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