Kalle Kirss, Director of NATO and European Union Affairs at the Estonian Ministry of Defense, expressed optimism regarding the prospect of allies deploying their air defense systems to Estonia. Emphasizing the need for regular and coordinated rotations, Kirss affirmed ongoing communication efforts with allies, including Spain.

However, Tomas Jermalavičius, an analyst at the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS) in Tallinn, acknowledged the challenge of establishing a rotational system, which necessitates agreements with multiple allies. Jermalavičius criticized NATO’s current approach, advocating for a more unified and coordinated effort among alliance members.

“This should be a joint effort by NATO as an alliance of many countries, coordinated action. Currently, we have a situation where Tallinn is talking to Washington or London and Vilnius to Berlin,” Jermalavičius noted.

Estonia’s acquisition of a medium-range air defense system, IRIS-T, from Germany in 2023 underscores its commitment to enhancing its defense capabilities. Additionally, the Estonian military possesses a short-range air defense system ‘Piorun’ procured from Poland.

Recognizing the importance of integrating diverse air defense systems for effective defense, ERR highlighted the significance of providing the region with long-range air defense capabilities. Notably, Lithuania will temporarily receive the Patriot system from the Netherlands this year.

“We need to provide Estonia with another ‘protective layer’, which is why we want to bring the Patriot system here on a rotational basis,” Kirss declared. “If we want a sustainable solution based on a rotational model, we need to ask the Americans for it,” the ICDS expert assessed.