Estonia, Together With Poland, Lithuania, And Norway, Signed A Joint Declaration for The Joint Procurement Of A Short-Range Man-Portable Air Defence System

The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) and the defence ministries of Lithuania, Norway, and Poland signed a joint declaration in Warsaw for the joint procurement of a short-range man-portable air defence system. The declaration authorized the Polish procurement agency, which has technical expertise and engineers for procuring rocket systems, including testing and quality control, to carry out the acquisitions.

"It is very gratifying that we have managed to agree on joint action with several partners in the region to enhance our short-range air defence capabilities. Jointly procuring these rocket systems will certainly provide economies of scale, ensure rapid delivery times, and save significant engineering resources," said Magnus-Valdemar Saar, Director General of ECDI, at the signing.

The signing was attended by Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State of Poland; Magnus-Valdemar Saar, Director General of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments; Monika Korolovienė, Vice Minister of the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania; and Rolf Kjos, National Armaments Director of the Ministry of Defence of Norway.

Saar highly values Poland's contribution to the Estonian supply chain, notably through direct contracts with Polish companies WB Group and Mesko. "Several of our project's subcontracts are also carried out in Poland. For instance, Nitro-Chem, one of Europe's largest explosives manufacturers, plays a vital role in the majority of our ammunition procurements—preparing many warhead explosives components," Saar explained.

Additionally, earlier this year, ECDI handed over Polish short-range air defence systems PIORUN to the Estonian Defence Forces, capable of hitting targets up to eight kilometers away, and this summer, the Polish company WB Group modernized the Estonian Defence Forces' ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns.