Estonian Defence Forces
The Estonian Defence Forces, EDF, is the unified military force of the Republic of Estonia. The Estonian Defence Forces consists of the Estonian Land Forces, the Estonian Navy, the Estonian Air Force, and the paramilitary Estonian Defence League. The national defence policy aims to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state and maintain the integrity of its land area, territorial waters, airspace, and constitutional order. Its main goals remain the development and maintenance of a credible capability to defend the nation's vital interests and of the defence forces in a way that ensures their interoperability with the armed forces of NATO and European Union member states in order to participate in the full range of missions for these military alliances.
History
The Estonian Defence Forces has its origins linked to the Estonian War of Independence. After the first phase of the German Revolution in November 1918 ended the German occupation in Estonia, the representatives of Germany formally handed over political and military power to the Government of Estonia. A few days later, Estonia was invaded by the military forces of the USSR, marking the beginning of the Estonian War of Independence. The small, poorly armed Estonian military, also known as the Peoples Force, was initially pushed back by the Red Army into the vicinity of the capital city of Estonia - Tallinn. A mere 34 kilometers separated Tallinn and the front line. The USSR's forces were stopped, in part, because of the timely arrival of a shipment of arms brought by a British naval squadron.In January 1919, the Estonian armed forces launched a counteroffensive, the May Offensive, under Commander-in-Chief Johan Laidoner. The Ground Forces were supported by the U.K. Royal Navy as well as Finnish, Swedish, and Danish volunteers. By the end of February 1919, the Red Army had been expelled from all of Estonia's territory. On 2 February 1920, the Peace Treaty of Tartu was signed by the Republic of Estonia and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. After winning the Estonian Liberation War against the USSR and German Freikorps volunteers, Estonia maintained its independence for twenty-two years.
In August 1939, just prior to the start of World War II, Stalin and Hitler secretly decided the fate of the Republic of Estonia. The two leaders agreed to divide Eastern Europe into "spheres of special interest" as outlined by the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact in its Secret Additional Protocol. According to this treaty, Estonia was to be occupied by the Soviet Union. The Estonian government decided to give their assent to an agreement which allowed the USSR to establish military bases and station 25,000 troops on Estonian soil for "mutual defence". On 12 June 1940, the order for a total military blockade of Estonia was given to the Soviet Baltic Fleet. Given the overwhelming Soviet force, in order to avoid the bloodshed of entering a futile and hopeless war, on 17 June 1940 the Estonian government decided not to resist. The military occupation of Estonia was complete by 21 June 1940. The armed forces of Estonia were disarmed in July 1940 by the Red Army according to Soviet orders. Only the Signal Battalion, stationed in Tallinn at Raua Street in front of the Tallinn School No. 21, continued to resist. As the Red Army brought in additional reinforcements supported by armoured fighting vehicles, the battle lasted several hours until sundown. In the end, there was one dead and several wounded on the Estonian side and about 10 killed and more wounded on the Soviet side. Military resistance ended with negotiations. Signal Battalion surrendered and was disarmed.
In the Second World War, many Estonians joined Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht auxiliary units, as well as eventually contributing volunteers and conscripts for the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, which fought against the Allies' USSR.
The Estonian Defence Forces was restored on September 3, 1991, by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia. Since its reformation in 1991, the armed forces of Estonia have re-opened and restored more than 30 old and new units, as well as several army branches.
Since 2011, the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces has been appointed by and is responsible to the Government of Estonia through the Ministry of Defence, rather than to the Riigikogu, as it had been before. This was due to constitutional amendments proposed by the former President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Estonian Division was formed in December 2022. On July 30, 2025 Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur announced the investment of ten billion euros into the Defense Forces for 2026 through 2029. Under the plan the Estonia Defense Force will create the country's first air defense brigade, alongside the creation of an artillery regiment, a military base in Narva, and defensive infrastructure under the Baltic Defence Line.
Structure
Other units of the Defence Forces:- Future Capability and Innovation Command
- Cyber Command
- Support Command
- * Supply Battalion
- Military Police
- * Guard Battalion
- Estonian Special Operations Force
In crises, the main tasks of the EDF are to increase the readiness levels of units as required, prepare for transition to wartime structure and begin mobilization as ordered, integrate units from other ministries, and prepare for assistance from and reception of friendly forces.
In wartime, the main tasks of the EDF are to defend the territorial integrity of the state, to facilitate the arrival and deployment of forces from other countries and co-operate with them, to maintain control over national airspace, and to facilitate the air defence of strategic assets in co-operation with forces from other countries.
Leadership of the National Defence
The national defence of Estonia is conducted on the principles of civilian control, being inherently bound with the democratic organization of the state. Democratically elected and appointed executive institutions make decisions on the use of the defence forces, determine their respective objectives, allocate necessary resources, and monitor the attainment of the objectives.The implementation of the principles of civilian control is guaranteed by defence-related rights, obligations, and responsibilities legislated by parliament, the President, and the government of the republic.
The highest leader of the national defence is the President, who is advised in national defence matters by the National Defence Council. The council is composed of the chairman of the Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Chief of the Defence Forces, the Defence Minister, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Chairman of the Parliamentary National Defence Committee. The federal government holds executive power in the leadership of the national defence.
Headquarters
In peacetime, the Estonian Defence Forces and the national defence organisations, including the Defence League, are led by the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces. In wartime, all these components are commanded by the commander-in-chief of the defence forces. The Chief of the Defence Forces and the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces are both appointed and released from office by the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet on the proposal of the President of the Republic of Estonia.The Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces is the headquarters of the military of Estonia, and acts as the working body of the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces. The General Staff is a joint staff, engaged with operational leadership, training, and development of the defence forces. Operational leadership is implemented by the Operational Staff, which plans and controls operations, ensuring defence readiness and mobilisation. The departments for training and development are responsible for long-term and mid-term planning, resource planning, organisation, and control over the implementation of national defence activities. The General Staff of the Defence Forces is headed by the Chief of the Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces.
Land Forces
The Estonian Land Forces is the main arm of the defence forces. The average size of the military formation in peacetime is about 6,700, about 3,200 of whom being conscripts. The Army component of the operational structure consists of the Estonian Division, which includes the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades, as well as an artillery battalion and support units.Both infantry brigades act as training and support frames for deployable units.
The Land Force's development priorities are the capability to participate in missions outside the national territory and the capability to perform operations to protect the territory of Estonia, also in co-operation with the Allies.