THE ESTONIAN NAVY: SEEING BEYOND THE HORIZON Commodore Jüri Saska

THE ESTONIAN NAVY: SEEING BEYOND THE HORIZON

Commodore Jüri Saska Commander of the Estonian Navy

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 I

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.

The Estonian Navy is highly valued in NATO for its mine countermeasures competence, as demonstrated by trust in our sailors. Estonia assumed the command function of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 in the recent past and we are working hard to be able to continue to live up to our ambitions in the near future. MARITIME SURVEILLANCE IN ESTONIA AND THE OTHER BALTIC STATES In order to defend the country in all domains – land, air and sea – one of the primary tasks for the Navy is to provide situational awareness within Estonian maritime areas. When I took command of the Navy three years ago, I emphasized in my first speech to my colleagues that we need to focus on and further develop maritime surveillance capabilities with the ambition of compiling a Recognized Maritime Picture. In doing so, it was necessary to make wise decisions quickly.

As human resources are limited, electronics play a significant role in maritime surveillance, providing us the necessary early warning. However, it is even more important to be physically at sea and above it to assure the protection of the interests of the stateas the need arises.

We have established a meaningful and effective bilateral cooperation with the Police and Border Guard Board in terms of national maritime surveillance activities. In addition, the M-28 Skytruck aircraft that, among other tasks, will be utilized for maritime surveillance, have been introduced into service within the Estonian Air Force.

Estonia’s Area of Interest is not limited to the maritime areas of the Baltic States. As a NATO member, we can also count on the navies of Allied and Partner nations. Within the Sea Surveillance Co-operation Baltic Sea (SUCBAS) project Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom all contribute to the relevant activities. As part of this successful enterprise, participating nations exchange maritime surveillance information to enhance maritime safety, environmental and economic cooperation, and maritime security. VISION OF BALTIC BROTHERS OR 3B NAVAL VISION Experience shows that coordinated training provides an advantage in joint exercises and operations in terms of operational readiness and task execution. We are already working and cooperating on a regional level by training senior and junior staff officers, mine clearance divers, and communications specialists jointly with the other Baltic navies. Positive experience has paved the way for a new level of naval cooperation.

The Estonian Navy is highly valued in NATO for its mine countermeasures competence, as demonstrated by trust in our sailors.

We have held numerous cooperation meetings with the naval commanders of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in order to bring together and explore ideas for promoting independent defence capacity of the Baltic region. It was unanimously agreed that for the implementation 10 years from now, we need to start shaping the plan today. By agreement, we call it the vision of the Baltic navies, or 3B Naval Vision 2030+, which is primarily a view towards the future.

We see that in the near future, it is expedient to combine the capability development efforts of the three Baltic States by creating a joint prudent plan in view of the naval defence needs.

We see that in the near future, it is expedient to combine the capability development efforts of the three Baltic States by creating a joint prudent plan in view of the naval defence needs. We have explored options to enhance surface warfare capabilities and build sensors and weapon systems, taking into account maintenance and future innovation cycles.

The benefits would accrue in all of the above aspects, even with joint procurement. By working together, we can use our limited resources more effectively and efficiently and make Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania better protected than ever before.