Malev (military unit)

Malev
Standard Estonian military map symbol for a malev.
Active	present
Country	Estonia
Branch	Estonian Defence League
Type	infantry
Size	2000
Equipment	small firearms grenade launchers mortars tactical transport vehicles infantry fighting vehicles portable missile launchers artillery group air defence systems
Commanders
Commander	Captain , Major or Lieutenant Colonel

A malev is an Estonian military unit led by a senior officer that is subordinate to an infantry division. A malev was originally based on a manpower of county and was led by a county vanem. Malev is bigger than a pataljon (battalion) but smaller than a diviis (division). It is currently the largest military formation among the Estonian Defence League infantry units.

Usually, a malev is a sub-component of a division, a larger unit consisting of two or more malevs; however, some brigades are classified as a separate brigade and operate independently from the traditional division structure. A malev's commanding officer is commonly a major or colonel.

A modern malev is typically composed of three to five companies or battalions, depending on the area and available manpower of a given county. Each malev can operate independently on a battlefield encompassing an area of 10 x 15 kilometres.