Estonian Air Force

Estonian Air Force Eesti Õhuvägi
Coat of arms of the Estonian Air Force
Lineup	December 16, 1991
Country	Estonia
Armed forces	Estonian Defense Forces
Type	Armed forces ( air forces )
structure	Õhuväestaap Õhuseiredivisjon Lennubaas
Strength	250 active soldiers 400 reservists
Air bases	Ämari Airport Tallinn Airport
guide
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces	President of the Republic of Estonia
Military commander in chief	Child Major Martin Herem
Air Force Commander	Colonel Rauno Sirk
insignia
Aircraft cockade
National emblem ( vertical stabilizer )
Aircraft
patrol	Robinson R44
education	Aero L-39
Transport aircraft / helicopter	Antonov An-2 , Boeing C-17 ( SAC )

The Estonian Air Force ( Estonian Eesti Õhuvägi ) is a force of only about 200 men in the Estonian armed forces . The most important base is Ämari Airport .

history

Beginning after 1918

The roots of the current organization go back to November 21, 1918, when the commander of the technical battalion Voldemar Victor Rieberg commissioned August Roos with the formation of the aeronautical component. The Estonian War of Independence gave great impetus to the development of the young Estonian Air Force.

After the Russian Revolution in February 1917, the Estonian state gained a degree of autonomy within Russia, which also included the formation of national armed forces. So it happened that many Estonians in the Russian army left for their homeland to join the Estonian armed forces. The Estonian declaration of independence in 1918 was not recognized by Germany , which invaded and occupied the country during the year. The Estonian armed forces were disbanded. Germany surrendered at the end of the First World War on November 11, 1918 and the provisional government of Estonia immediately set up a military aviation unit. The aviation company of the technical battalion began the construction of military airfields near Tallinn. On January 19, 1919, the first operational aircraft entered service - a captured Soviet Farman F.30 .

In the meantime, the Soviet Red Army had attacked Estonia on November 22, 1918 and occupied most of the country. The newly formed Estonian army managed to counterattack in January 1919, with foreign support, and began to liberate the country in late February. The army then liberated Latvia. The flying company flew a limited number of missions to support the army. Following the peace treaty with Soviet Russia in February, the Estonian army was demobilized , but the flying company was retained. With the delivery of more aircraft it was reorganized as a flying regiment ( Lennuväe rügement ), consisting of a squadron for land planes , a seaplane squadron , flight schools and workshops. More bases and seaplane stations were built.

Some pilots in the regiment were involved in a pro-Soviet coup attempt on December 1, 1924 , but it was crushed within hours. From 1925 the aircraft of the era of the First World War were gradually replaced by more modern types. In 1928 the aviation regiment came under the control of an air defense organization (Õhukaitse) , which also contained anti-aircraft guns. Plans to acquire Spitfires and Lysanders from Britain were thwarted when the outbreak of war forced Britain to cancel all export orders.

The time of the Second World War

After the defeat of Poland , Estonia was forced to sign an assistance pact with the Soviet Union , which was signed on September 28, 1939. This agreement allowed Russia to set up military bases in Estonia, which were later used in the winter war against Finland. In its most important period, the 1930s, the Estonian Air Force had 130 aircraft.

On June 17, 1940, Soviet troops invaded the three Baltic states. Soviet-style elections were organized and the resulting communist parliament campaigned for membership within the Soviet Union. This request was granted on August 6, 1940. During the invasion in June 1940, the air defense was not active and therefore the planes remained locked in their hangars. The Luftwaffe became the aviation squadron of the 22nd Territorial Corps of the Soviet Army in the summer of 1940.

On June 22, 1941, the Soviet Union was invaded by Nazi Germany . The speed of the advance was so great that Estonia was quickly cut off from Russia by German forces . The 22nd Territorial Corps was ordered to evacuate to Russia, but many Estonian nationals deserted and joined the underground fighters to fight the retreating Red Army. The Germans were greeted as liberators on their arrival.

During the renewed Soviet occupation from 1944 onwards, Estonia was heavily militarized. More than 10 percent of the population were members of the Soviet troops in over 500 military installations.

Reconstruction after 1991

The Estonian Air Force was reorganized on December 15, 1991 after the Republic of Estonia regained its independence in 1991, after having not existed during the German and Soviet occupation. To date, they only have training and transport aircraft - other NATO members are responsible for securing state airspace as part of the Baltic Air Policing .

Since 1994 the Õhuvägi has been busy rebuilding the destroyed military infrastructure that was left behind by the Russian army. Most of the money was invested in the Ämari military airfield. The aim of this air base is to cooperate with NATO and air forces from other partner nations and to provide standardized services that are necessary for host nation support.

Commanders

• February 7, 1994 to January 1, 1996 Kolonel Vello Loemaa
• January 1, 1996 to February 17, 1997 Colonel Teo Krüüner
• February 17, 1997 to February 20, 1998 Kolonel Vello Loemaa
• February 20, 1998 to August 25, 1999 Colonel Teo Krüüner
• August 25, 1999 to February 5, 2000 Colonel Valeri Saar
• February 5, 2000 to July 23, 2004 Childrens Major Teo Krüüner
• July 24, 2004 to May 2, 2005 Kapten Mart Vendla
• May 3, 2005 to August 20, 2006 Colonel Valeri Saar
• August 21, 2006 to March 12, 2007 Major Rauno Sirk
• March 13, 2007 to August 15, 2012 Brigaadikindral Valeri Saar
• August 15, 2012 to July 20, 2018 Kolonel Jaak Tarien
• July 20, 2018 to July 16, 2019 Kolonel Riivo Valge
• since July 16, 2019 Colonel Rauno Sirk

Tasks and organization

tasks

One of the main goals of the Air Force is to build an air surveillance system, which will be the cornerstone of air traffic safety and airspace security. The second priority is to expand host nation support to support NATO air defense as part of the Baltic Air Policing . An important milestone will be the expansion of the air surveillance system to a level that enables close cooperation with the integrated NATO air defense system. The task of the Amari Air Base is both to work with NATO air forces and their partner nations and to provide them with standardized airfield and aircraft services.

organization structure

Organizational structure of the Estonian Air Force

French Mirage 2000 monitoring the Baltic airspace

US A-10 fighter jets at the Ämari Air Force Base in Estonia

Air Force Staff

The Õhuväe Staap is the highest command body of the Estonian Air Force and represents the military command structure, which is supposed to achieve, maintain and increase the operational readiness of the militarily subordinate structures so that they are able to operate under authorized orders.

Air surveillance

The Õhuseiredivisjon is the unit that expands the national airspace surveillance system to a level that allows the detection and identification of all flying objects in Estonian airspace with maximum probability and the transmission of information about their location and movement with a sufficient degree of accuracy around the clock. To this end, in addition to the existing facilities in Ämari and Kellavere, two further monitoring systems (on Muhu and near Otepää ) have been set up.

The main task of the Õhuseiredivisjon is the collection and processing of information that is obtained by regional radar air surveillance systems, interceptor patrols and other air surveillance sensors.

Air force bases and airfields

Although the Estonian Air Force took over a large number of Soviet airfields after the restoration of independence in 1991, most of them were disbanded in the early 1990s due to a lack of demand. The army currently only operates the base in Ämari (Lennubaas Ämari) . In addition, the Tallinn civil airport is occasionally used.

Ämari Air Force Base

After handing over the former Russian military airfield Ämari in 1994, Estonia began to use it for its own air force. In the following years the base was gradually renovated. In 2010, for example, the airfield, which was repaired within three years, was opened. The renovation and new building measures financially supported by NATO were not yet completed. The base should be fully operational at the beginning of 2015. Due to the crisis in Ukraine , however, a contingent of four Danish planes was stationed in Ämari for the first time in April 2014, as part of the Air Policing Baltic States, and the base was set up 24/7 .

In addition, the following Estonian units were and have been stationed in Ämari for a long time:

• General purpose helicopter squadron
• light transport aircraft squadron

Tallinn Airport

• Piirivalve Lennusalk - Air Corps of the Estonian Border Guard

Rank badge

	Generals				Staff officers			Officers
Auastmed	Kindral	Child conduction	Child Major Major	Brigaadikindral	Colonel	Colonel chief	major	Kapten	Lead number	Nooremleitnant	Lipnik
Rank	general	Lieutenant General	Major general	Brigadier General	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	major	Staff Captain Captain	First lieutenant	lieutenant	Senior Ensign Ensign

	NCOs MP					NCOs oP			Teams
Auastmed	Ülemveebel	Static fog	Vanemveebel	Veebel	Nooremveebel	Vanemseersant	Seersant	Nooremseersant	Capral	Reamees
Rank	Sergeant Major	Staff Sergeant	Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major	sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal Corporal	soldier

equipment

Aircraft

Current aircraft

Since the withdrawal of the last Russian army units in 1994, the Estonian Air Force has been busy rebuilding the destroyed military infrastructure. Most of the funds were used specifically for the renovation of the Ämari airfield. Due to the lack of a modern military aviation infrastructure, the expansion of the Estonian air force continues. This can also be seen in their equipment. For example, the Aero L-39 Albatros are only used for representative purposes at state receptions or parades (e.g. on the anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Wenden ).

Aircraft	photo	origin	use	version	active	Ordered	Remarks
An-2			Light transport aircraft	An-2 An-2T	1 1
PZL M28		Poland / United States	Light transport aircraft , reconnaissance aircraft (planned)	C-145	2		To replace the An-2, first machine put into service in March 2019
Aero L-39		Czechoslovakia	Training aircraft	L-39C	3		leased
Robinson R44		United States	Light multipurpose helicopter	Raven Clipper	2 2		Should be decommissioned in early 2021.

Strategic Airlift Capability

As part of the Strategic Airlift Capability Program, Estonia and the other participating states operate three C-17 Globemaster IIIs that can be used for strategic military air transport.

Air Corps of the Estonian Border Guard

AW139 of the border guards

There is close cooperation between the Estonian Armed Forces and the Air Corps of the Estonian Border Guard . Above all, the AW 139 helicopters purchased are often used for training purposes such as boarding or fast roping.

plane	origin	Type	version	number
AgustaWestland	Italy	Medium multipurpose helicopter	AW139	3

Historic aircraft

• PZL-104
• Mil Wed-2

radar

Radar TPS-177 as a mobile unit

• Vera-E passive radar system
• Giraffe AMB air reconnaissance device (range approx. 100 km). In Estonia, 5 systems are in use with the Army Air Defense Battalion (Õhutõrjepataljon)
• TPS-117 a 3-dimensional aerial search radar (range approx. 450 km) permanently installed at Kellavere in the municipality of Laekvere and two more as mobile units
• two Ground Master 403 air defense radar systems (range approx. 470 km) permanently installed on the island of Muhu and near Otepää , but they can also be used mobile, on Sisu E13TP 8x8 vehicles

Land vehicles

vehicle	origin	Type	version	number
Sisu	Finland	truck	Sisu E13TP 8x8	2
Sisu	Finland	truck	SISU A2045 4x4
Linden tree	Germany	Forklift	E 35
CAT	Germany	Wheel loader	M series
Rosenbauer	Austria	fire Department	Panther 6 × 6 CA-5	2

modernization

According to the Estonian Government's Long-Term Defense Development Plan for 2009–2018, the air force has undergone a modernization process. According to the plan, the Air Force should receive resources for tactical air surveillance as well as air transport by helicopter. It has not yet been possible to implement all expansion priorities. a. two new radar stations built.

International cooperation

BaltNet

BaltNet (Baltic Air Surveillance Network) is the radar-based military air surveillance system of the armed forces of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that has existed since 2000 . It has been integrated into the air policing of the North Atlantic Alliance since the Baltic states became NATO members .

The BaltNet headquarters, the Regional Airspace Surveillance Co-ordination Center (RASCC), is located in Kaunas .

Air Policing Baltic States

Since Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined NATO in 2004, the surveillance and security of the airspace has been taken over by other NATO members. The reason for NATO Air Policing is that the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian armed forces have been able to carry out air surveillance through cooperation in the Baltic Air Surveillance Network (BALTNET) since 2006, but due to the lack of airborne weapons systems, they are unable to carry out visual identification or air sovereignty (e.g. by intercepting or pushing away) yourself.

Strategic Airlift Capability

The Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) is an initiative of several NATO member states and two partner nations, Sweden and Finland, which signed letters of intent to jointly purchase and operate three C-17 Globemaster IIIs . These will operate in a manner similar to NATO's AWACS aircraft - with multinational crews and a multinational military command structure.

Estonia was one of the first to take part in this initiative, along with the following countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States. Later on, Hungary, Finland, Norway and Sweden also signed the letter of intent. However, Denmark withdrew from the program in 2007.

Final approval was given on June 20, 2007 and the first aircraft was delivered on July 14, 2009. NATO has also approved the establishment of the NATO Airlift Management Organization (NAMO) and the NATO Airlift Management Agency (NAMA) in order to be able to purchase and maintain the aircraft. The C-17 Globemasters are stationed at the Pápa Air Force Base in Hungary.

literature

• Richard Humberstone: Eesti Öhuvägi - Estonia's Air Force . In: Fliegerrevue Extra . No. 6 . Möller, Berlin 2004, p. 28-49 .

Web links

Commons : Estonian Air Force  - Pictures, Videos and Audio Files Collection

• Official site (English)
• Detailed information on the Baltic Air Policing (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Report on news.err.ee about the change of command, accessed on July 16, 2019 (English)
2. ↑ ^{a b} Message on news.err.ee on the opening of the Muhu radar post on March 27, 2013, accessed on July 11, 2014 (English)
3. ↑ Report on postimees.ee on the opening of the Otepää radar post from January 28, 2015, accessed on May 7, 2015 (English)
4. ↑ Ämaris alustasid teenistust Taani hävitajad online report on mil.ee from April 30, 2014, accessed on March 13, 2019 (Estonian)
5. ↑ Estonia to receive donated C-145As this year , online report on janes.com from February 4, 2019, accessed on February 9, 2019 (English)
6. ↑ Õhuvägi võttis kasutusse Ühendriikidelt saadud transpordilennuki M-28 , online report on mil.ee from March 12, 2019, accessed on June 27, 2020 (Estonian)
7. ↑ Air Force to stop using Robinson 44 helicopters starting next year , online report on news.err.ee from June 3, 2020, accessed on June 3, 2020 (English)
8. ↑ Press release ( memento of September 17, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) from ThalesRaytheonSystems on the delivery of the first unit (English)
9. ↑ Message on airforce-technology.com from March 27, 2013, accessed on January 9, 2015 (English)
10. ↑ Message on airforce-technology.com from November 12, 2012, accessed on January 9, 2015 (English)
11. ^ Defense Development Plan . Ministry of Defense, archived from the original on April 4, 2015 ; accessed on June 8, 2017 .