Pevkur: US weapon shipments to reach Estonia in weeks, not months

TALLINN – US arms deliveries, temporarily suspended due to the war in Ukraine, will reach Estonia in the coming weeks, with the exception of ATACMS missiles for HIMARS, which are currently unavailable from the Americans due to the war, Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur told public broadcaster ERR.

Pevkur said in mid-July that an agreement had been reached with the Americans to resume arms deliveries and that all ordered ammunition had been cleared for shipment, except for ATACMS. At the time, he estimated that the various types of ammunition should arrive in Estonia in the coming months, with deliveries depending on logistical details.

By the beginning of August, the timeline has shortened significantly, with delivery times now measured in weeks rather than months, Pevkur said on Wednesday.

"In essence, the situation is the same; the movement of supplies is in progress, and to my knowledge, it's now a matter of weeks, not months. We do not want to disclose the exact delivery date for security reasons," he stated.

However, tactical ATACMS missiles for the HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system, which have a range of up to 300 kilometers, are still unavailable from the Americans.

The Estonian Defence Forces currently have six HIMARS (M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) multiple-launch rocket systems. In April, the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments and the US defense company Lockheed Martin signed a contract to acquire three new HIMARS launchers, which are scheduled to arrive in Estonia in 2027, ERR reports.