Estonia Plans €1+ Billion Investment in Ballistic Missile Defense

Estonia is prepared to spend more than €1 billion to acquire new air defense systems capable of countering ballistic missiles.

According to ERR, the Estonian military plans to decide this spring which surface-to-air missile systems to purchase and in what quantities.

The options currently under consideration include the U.S.-made Patriot system, the Franco-Italian SAMP/T, and Israel’s David’s Sling.

Under a preliminary minimum scenario, Estonia estimates that procuring new air defense systems would cost several hundred million euros.

At the same time, under the maximum scenario, total spending on surface-to-air missile systems could exceed €1 billion.

The launchers are expected to be delivered to Estonia at the beginning of the next decade.

When selecting a system, authorities will consider not only procurement costs but also full life-cycle costs, including personnel, training, operations, and long-term maintenance.

Last year in Israel, the David’s Sling system successfully intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile for the first time.

Ukraine uses Patriot and SAMP/T systems, received as part of international military assistance, to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.

To strengthen its air defense, Estonia signed a €200 million framework agreement with MBDA France in June 2025 to supply new Mistral 3 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS).

The Mistral MANPADS have been part of the Estonian Armed Forces’ arsenal for some time and are used both in shoulder-launched and vehicle-mounted configurations.