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Estonian Defence Forces

Estonian Defence Forces
Eesti Kaitsevägi
EKV coat of arms.svg
Service branches Maavagi crest.svg Estonian Land Forces
Estonian Navy emblem.svg Estonian Navy
Esti ohuvagi crest.svg Estonian Air Force
Kaitseliit emblem.svg Estonian Defence League
Headquarters Tallinn
Leadership
Commander of the Defence Forces General Riho Terras
Minister of Defence Margus Tsahkna
Chief of Staff of the Headquarters Brigadier General Martin Herem
Manpower
Military age 18
Conscription 8 or 11 months
Active personnel 5,750 (Defence Forces)
12,000 (Defence League)
Reserve personnel 30,000
Expenditures
Budget €477 million (2017)
Percent of GDP 2.2 % (2017)
Related articles
History Estonian War of Independence
World War II
Iraq War
War in Afghanistan
Ranks Military ranks of Estonia

The Estonian Defence Forces (Estonian: Eesti Kaitsevägi) is the name of the unified armed forces of the Republic of Estonia. The Estonian military is a defence force consisting of Land Forces, Navy, Air Force and a paramilitary organization Defence League. The national defence policy aims to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its land area, territorial waters and airspace and its constitutional order. Its main goals remain the development and maintenance of a credible capability to defend the nation's vital interests and development of the defence forces in a way that ensures their interoperability with the armed forces of NATO and European Union member states to participate in the full range of missions for these military alliances.

After the German Revolution, between 11 and 14 November 1918, ending the German occupation in Estonia, the representatives of Germany formally handed over political power to the Government of Estonia. A few days later Estonia was invaded by the military forces of Bolshevist Russia, marking the beginning of the Estonian War of Independence. The small, poorly armed Estonian military, also known as the Peoples Force (in Estonian: Rahvavägi), was initially pushed back by the Red Army into the vicinity of the capital city of Estonia - Tallinn. A mere 34 kilometers separated Tallinn and the front line. Partly due to the timely arrival of a shipment of arms brought by a British naval squadron the Bolsheviks were stopped.


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