Estonian Navy
| Estonian Navy Eesti Merevägi |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1918–1940; 1991–present |
| Country |
 Estonia
|
| Branch | Navy |
| Part of | Estonian Defence Forces |
| Headquarters | Miinisadam |
| Anniversaries | 21 November |
| Engagements | War of Independence |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-chief | Captain Jüri Saska |
| Notable commanders |
Admiral Johan Pitka |
| Insignia | |
| Naval Ensign |  |
| Naval Jack |  |
The Estonian Navy (Estonian: Merevägi), is the name of the unified naval forces among the Estonia Defence Forces.
There are about four commissioned ships in the Estonian Navy, including three auxiliary ships; the displacement of the navy is under 10,000 tonnes making it one of the smallest navies in the world. Ship prefix is EML (Eesti Mereväe Laev/Estonian Navy Ship). The Estonian Navy has been reduced severely since the second half of the decade mainly due to insufficient maintenance, lack of funding and thereby training of personnel and timely replacement of equipment. Another possible setback could be attributed to Estonia's domestic lack of maritime defence policy strategy as the current navy neither operates a single traditional warship that could perform defensive or offensive operations nor coastal defense capabilities and maritime landing operations along its long and island rich territorial waters. The Estonian Navy has participated numerous times in NATO´s naval joint-exercises.
In 2010, the Ministry of Defence confirmed an interest to obtain a number of warships in the terms of gunboats for the purpose of ensuring defence of territorial waters and improving maritime surveillance. In late 2011, despite the changes in general defence policy and the armed forces reforms that are to take place in the coming years it is still not certain if, what type and number of the vessels will be obtained by the navy.
The “Merevägi” was founded on November 21, 1918. The foundation and development of the Estonian Navy relies greatly on the British Navy which operated in the Gulf of Finland as an ally to Estonia during the Estonian War of Independence. The first Estonian navy ships, minecruisers Lennuk and Wambola, were gifts from the British Royal Navy after they had been captured from the Russian Baltic Fleet in 1919.
The Meredessantpataljon, was a short lived marine infantry - Naval landing battalion of the Estonian Defence Forces subject to the Estonian Navy. The battalion was created from the crews of the Estonian surface warships and was based in Tallinn.
Since the end of the 19th century the Russian Empire began to build coastal fortresses and naval strongholds in Estonia which was annexed to empire after the Great Northern War in 1721. Tallinn having been historically an important trading center between the East and the West became one of the main naval bases of the Imperial Russian Baltic fleet. A systematic coastal defence network and naval gun installations were ordered and the construction works began at the end of the 1890s.
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Wikipedia