"We always elaborate what kind of weapons systems we need. We always elaborate what kind of equipment is needed," Kiili told Sputnik when asked whether Estonia had requested additional military equipment from the United States. Growing Estonian defense needs are an "organic and logical approach to defense systems," he said.
Asked specifically whether Estonia had concluded a military equipment deal with the United States for the Javelin anti-tank missile system, Kiili said he could not provide details. He added, however, that "from a field commander's perspective, these are good systems."
The Javelin deal was announced shortly after the European Defense Agency signed a framework agreement to supply anti-tank ammunition to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Poland.
The Javelin anti-tank missile system was adopted by the United States Army in 1996. The fire and forget missile system allows the operator to seek shelter or to change the position right after the missile launch, thus increasing the chances of survival of the operator and the system as a whole. Each system has the effective firing range of 75 to 2,500 meters and costs about $250,000. It is currently used by Bahrain, France, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, the UAE and a number of other countries.
