THE ESTONIAN NAVY: SEEING BEYOND THE HORIZON Commodore JĂźri Saska Commander of the Estonian Navy
I
have told my fellow sailors that while unfortunately we are not the best navy in the world; we are certainly the best navy in Estonia. We feel the responsibility on our shoulders and do our utmost to maximize our resources. I can assure you that the future of the naval branch of the Estonian Defence Forces is brighter than ever. Mobile naval surveillance radars, once incorporated into our existing surveillance network, will ensure maritime surveillance. We will introduce force protection
boats to our service, making our training more versatile and improving our responsiveness. We are also developing NATO-compliant over-the-horizon communication capabilities. The mine countermeasures capability upgrade programme to the Sandown-class has almost ended, making the ship class more efficient and reliable. The Navy will resume its duties within Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 in the Baltic Sea, thus unanimously ensuring common security. 21
