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Giraffe AMB radar
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In recent years, the Baltic States have made efforts to implement short-range air defense programs, though to date these have mostly been efforts to defend vital targets within their countries as opposed to any effort at national air defense. While Latvia and Lithuania opted for Sweden’s unjammable laser-guided RBS-70, Estonia went in a different direction.

After narrowing the competition to Raytheon’s FIM-92 Stinger and MBDA’s Mistral, the Estonian government announced the winner of a 1 billion Kroon (currently about $84.5 million) contract on Feb 28/07 for Mistral missiles, networked via Saab’s Giraffe 3D radars. Now the first systems are being delivered…

SAF Mistral firing post
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The winners were MBDA and Saab, who will deliver Mistral man-portable anti-aircraft missiles, linked to coordination posts and Saab’s Giraffe AMB radars. The delivered system will be fully NATO-compatible by using NATO data links such as Link 11B and LLAPI, integrated by Saab Microwave Systems.

MBDA data gives Mistral a maximum range of about 6.5km, and a maximum intercept altitude of 3km, amking it a A VSHORAD system. Estonia brings the number of countries who have bought Mistral to 27; the missile is also packaged for use by ground vehicles (Atlas, Albi), ships (Sadral, Simbad) and helicopters (Atam). MBDA is jointly owned by BAE Systems (37.5%), EADS (37.5%) and Finmeccanica (25%).

Estonia’s 1st Infantry Brigade will receive the systems in accordance with the 2005 “National Military Strategy” [RTF format] and 2004-2006 Defence budget [Excel format] in order to defend the brigade against air attack in Estonia and/or during NATO missions. See also this summary of Estonia’s security policy & memberships.

MBDA France and Saab AB will deliver their products to the Ministry of Defence over the next 2 years. In an unusual move for Estonia, which is often touted as a classic success story for free-market policies, the government is also requiring equivalent EEK 1 billion industrial/ research offset contracts from the winners. Saab’s auto industry ties will likely be helpful in this regard. See government release [English version] | Saab release.

UPDATES:

Aug 14/08: The Estonian Ministry of Defence confirms that the new systems arrived in Tallinn in the end of July 2008. The first consignment included firing equipment, training missiles, simulators and testing and maintenance equipment. The spare parts kit was also delivered in July, in a separate shipment.

Air Defence Battalion officers and NCO training will begin in September 2008, organized by MBDA and SAAB instructors. The first training cycle will be taking place at Tapa Air Defence Battalion and the second in France. The next weapon system consignment is expected to arrive in the beginning of 2009.