Estonian Navy

Estonian Navy Eesti Merevägi
active	1918-1940 since July 1, 1993
Country	Estonia
Armed forces	Eesti Kaitsevägi
Type	Armed forces ( navy )
structure	Maerevaebaas Laevastik EOD Tuukri Group Mereväekool
Strength	350 active soldiers 1500 reservists
Insinuation	Estonian Ministry of Defense Estonian Defense Forces
Corporate headquarters	Tallinn
motto	Mere kutsel - mere kaitsel!
Colours	Silver, blue and gold
march	Yeah vabaks, Eesti meri!
Anniversaries	November 21, 1918
management
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces	President of the Republic of Estonia
Military commander in chief	Child Major Martin Herem
Navy Commander	Commodore Jüri Saska
Important commanders	Rear Admiral Johan Pitka
insignia
Naval war flag
Gösch

The Estonian Navy ( Estonian Eesti Merevägi ) is the maritime branch of the Estonian armed forces . In peacetime there are 350 active soldiers in the Navy , who can be reinforced by 1500 reservists at any time . The heart of the Estonian Navy is the fleet ( Laevastik ) with the EOD Tuukrigrupp - a diving division for ordnance disposal.

history

Before 1940

The Eesti merejõud , as the forerunner of today's navy, were erected on November 21, 1918. The establishment and development of the Estonian Navy is largely based on the British Navy , which operated as an ally of Estonia during the Estonian War of Freedom in the Gulf of Finland. The first Estonian naval ships, the destroyer Lennuk and the destroyer Wambola , were handed over by the Royal Navy after the ships belonging to the Russian Baltic Fleet were captured in 1919. Both ships were resold to Peru in 1933.

Coastal batteries

From the end of the 19th century, the Russian Empire began to build coastal fortresses and maritime festivals in Estonia, which was annexed in 1721 after the Great Northern War . Tallinn, historically an important trading center between the east and west, became one of the main bases of the Empire's Baltic fleet. A systematic coastal defense network - the sea ​​fortress of Emperor Peter the Great - and the installation of naval guns were ordered, construction work began in late 1890 and had not been completed by the end of the First World War.

During the Estonian War of Freedom and after the Peace of Dorpat , the Estonian Navy began to rebuild and develop the coastal defense network. From 1918 to 1940, Estonia invested millions of Estonian kronor in renewing coastal defenses. In 1939, the coastal batteries presented a sizeable naval force and were among the elite forces of the Estonian Navy. Little was left of the coastal defense lines and fortresses during World War II and the subsequent Soviet occupation . Today some buildings and fireplaces can be visited, especially the best preserved on the island of Aegna .

Marine infantry

The historic Meredessantpataljon was a short-lived marine infantry battalion of the Estonian armed forces, which was subordinate to the Navy. It was recruited from the crews of the Estonian warships and was stationed in Tallinn.

Flotilla on Lake Peipus

During the War of Independence in 1919, Estonia captured a number of gunboats, mostly on the frozen Emajõgi ; which from 1919 to 1940 a division on Lake Peipus, which covered most of Estonia's eastern border, formed. Bases existed in Kallaste and Mustvee .

These included:

• Gunboat Vanemuine - flagship in Lake Peipus
• Gunboat Ahti
• Gunboat Tartu
• Gunboat Uku
• Gunboat Ilmatar
• Gunboat Taara
• Small gunboats Kõu and Maru

Rebuild after 1993

Since the re-establishment of the Estonian Armed Forces on September 3, 1991, the first months and years of the Estonian Navy have been characterized by clean-up work and the reconstruction of the military infrastructure (primarily on the naval base in Tallinn, which was taken over by Russia in 1994). Complicating the fact that the naval forces had to be rebuilt came the point that Estonia (despite its small size and limited resources) had started to set up naval units that independently took on tasks in the areas of maritime administration and border protection . These were already established when the headquarters of the armed forces began on July 1, 1993 to create the first structures for the reconstruction of the navy and on February 1, 1994 Roland Leit was appointed commander of the naval forces. In an interview with Jane’s Defense Weekly on July 9, 1994 , he said the following about the problems involved in reconstruction:

"When the Soviet Navy left the Tallinn Naval Base, they sabotaged the facilities, and scuttled about 10 of their ships in the harbor. They broke all the windows, all the heating, and all the electricity equipment. When they came in 1939 they took over our port facilities in good order. Now they are leaving us a mess. We got nothing from the Russian Navy. The Griff class patrol craft we got not from them but from a Russian firm that had bought the hulls first. Their navigation and radio systems are broken, too. We hope to have it all repaired and bring the craft into service before the end of the year. "

“When the Soviet Navy left the Tallinn naval base , it sabotaged the existing facilities and sank ten of its ships in the port. They destroyed everything: windows, heating, equipment for electricity. When they came in 1939, they took over our port facilities in good condition. Now they have left us a mess. We didn't get anything from the Russian Navy. The patrol boat of the handle class we did not get from them, but from a Russian company that had initially bought the hull. The navigation and radio systems are also unusable. We hope that we can fix everything and put the boat into service by the end of the year. "

Against this background of the lack of possibilities and necessities, it is not surprising that the development progressed very slowly and that the association was initially dependent on donations from abroad. For example, in 1994, with the Komet and Meteor from Germany and the Mallemukken from Denmark, ships were received that were no longer needed there and / or were considered obsolete, but which were operated in Estonia for a few years. This also applied to the minesweepers that arrived in the next few years (also from Germany). In addition to these ships, which were mainly used in the area of ​​mine control, the Navy used patrol boats of Soviet and Finnish origin in the first few years .

Over the next 15 years (especially since the country joined NATO in 2004), the armament and equipment of the naval forces have been continuously improved. For example, more ships (either acquired as a donation from abroad or used in Germany, Great Britain or Denmark) were put into service, which gradually replaced the outdated units. In addition, in recent years the available financial resources have been used to concentrate on the area of ​​mine control. Thus, one now has a mine ship and a diving department, the technical equipment of which is comparable to that of other NATO partners.

Commander

The following people have been commanders of the Estonian Navy since its reorganization:

Surname	period of service	comment
Roland Leit (1928–2017)	1994-1998
Jaan Kapp (* 1956)	1998-2003
Ahti Piirimägi & Peeter Ivask	2003-2007	temporary, alternating
Igor Schvede (* 1970)	November 21, 2007 to July 22, 2012	previously on a provisional basis
Sten Sepper (born 1971)	July 23, 2012 to November 23, 2016
Jüri Saska (* 1974)	since February 1, 2017	provisionally since November 23, 2016

Tasks and organization

tasks

The Estonian Navy is tasked with protecting the territorial waters of the Republic of Estonia . In the event of a crisis situation, it must be able to defend ports, coasts and underwater communications facilities and cooperate with allied forces.

The Navy's top priority is developing anti-mine resources and capabilities . During the First and Second World Wars, more than 80,000 mines were laid in the Baltic Sea . Since 1995, isolated mine clearance operations have taken place in cooperation with other naval associations in the Baltic Sea region in Estonian waters to track down and remove these mines and thus contribute to safe shipping.

organization structure

Since August 1, 2014 (integration of the previously independent naval staff into the fleet), the navy has been structured as follows:

• Mereväebaas (ports and bases)
• Laevastik (fleet)
  • EOD tuukrigrupp ( mine divers)
  • Mereväekool (Naval School)

Ports and bases

The Merejõud has operated a number of naval bases and war ports, most of which were on the west coast and on the islands. Up to 1939 there were more than ten larger and smaller war ports and naval bases, for example Aegna , Paldiski , Virtsu , Rohuküla , Mõntu , Kuressaare , Kõiguste , Papissaare poolsaar , Jaagurahu , Tagalaht , Küdema , Sõru , Kärdla , Kallaste , Mustvee and the port of Tallinn .

Currently there is only the Miinisadam military port , which is located in northern Tallinn. Miinisadam is the headquarters of the Navy and the base of the fleet.

fleet

The fleet currently includes four ships, which can be divided into two types (three mine-hunting ships and one auxiliary ship ). In addition to warships, the fleet also includes mine divers (EOD tuukrigrupp) and the naval school (Mereväekool).

EOD tuukrigrupp

The main task of the EOD tuukrigrupp is to search for explosives on the surface and under water, to identify them and to render them harmless. However, it can also be used to inspect ship hulls for damage.

To fulfill these tasks, the diving group has modern, non-magnetic diving suits and diving equipment at their disposal, with which they can dive to a depth of 55 meters for up to 4 hours. Mobile decompression chambers are available on the Tasuja for treatments against barotrauma .

The mine diver training takes place at the Baltic Naval Diving Training Center in Liepaja, Latvia.

education

In 2003 the Navy opened the Mereväekool , its training center internationally known as the Center of Naval Education and Training (CNET) . This has the task of coordinating, standardizing, monitoring and developing naval training and ensuring the supply of naval personnel. In addition to communication personnel, marine specialists are also trained at this naval school. English language courses are also offered.

Conscripts take the MBK basic marine course at Mereväekool during the first few months . In this, basic knowledge of naval and defense is acquired. In addition, this basic course prepares the marine recruits for their 11-month deployment on the ships. However, there are also conscripts who do their service on land in the naval base. They only do eight months of military service.

NCOs also receive their training at the Mereväekool . In addition to military training, they also acquire expert knowledge there. The majority of Estonian naval officers have so far been trained at European or American naval academies.

Combined Baltic Naval Specialist Training

The Baltic states share their limited training resources with each other, for example Estonia provides communication training at the Baltic Naval Communications School in the Tallinn naval base, while Latvia operates a diving training center with the Baltic Naval Diving Training Center in Liepāja .

The latter was set up to maintain the self-sufficient ability to train mine divers. The training center is supported by instructors from the Norwegian Navy. Prospective marine divers acquire the necessary ship-related know-how in an initial 5-week course. This is followed by the actual mine diver training of a duration of 4 months, during which tests take place continuously. It is now being considered that conscripts will be trained to become ship divers. After a few practice sessions, they can then apply for the 4-month mine diving training.

Ranks and Rank Badges

Officers

Rank group	Flag officers				Staff officers			Subaltern officers
Sleeve badge
Rank	admiral	Viitseadmiral	Rear admiral	Commodoor	Mereväekapten	Kaptenleitnant	Cape major	Vanemleitnant	Lead number	Nooremleitnant	Lipnik
Rank (Bundeswehr)	admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Flotilla admiral	Sea captain	Frigate captain	Corvette Captain	Lieutenant captain	First lieutenant at sea	Lieutenant at sea	no equivalent
NATO rank code	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1

NCOs and men

Rank group	NCOs with portepee					NCOs without portepee			Teams
Sleeve badge
Rank	Ülemveebel	Static fog	Vanemveebel	Veebel	Nooremveebel	Vanemmaat	Mate	Nooremmaat	Vanemmadrus	Madrus
Rank (Bundeswehr)	Chief of Staff		Staff Captain	Chief Boatswain	Captain / Boatswain	Chief Mate / Mate	Oberstabsgefreiter / Stabsgefreiter		Private	sailor
NATO rank code	OR-9		OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4		OR-2	OR-1

equipment

Fleet between 1918 and 1940

The first Estonian naval ships, captured by the Royal Navy from the Russian Baltic Fleet, were donated by the latter in 1919.

Surname	photo	origin	Ship class	use	Built	Commissioning (Estonia)	Decommissioning (Estonia)	Remarks
Lennuk		Russian Empire	Destroyer of Izyaslav class	Mine cruiser	1915	1919	1933	Built as Awtroil . Surrendered to British units in December 1918. On January 2nd, 1919 transfer to Estonia and renaming to Lennuk . Resold to Peru on August 23, 1933.
Wambola		Russian Empire	Destroyer of Leitenant-Iljin class	Mine cruiser	1915	1919	1933	Built as Kapitan Kingsbergen . Surrendered to British units in December 1918. On January 2nd, 1919 transfer to Estonia and renaming to Wambola . Resold to Peru on August 23, 1933.
Lembite		Russian Empire	Giljak class	Gunboat	1906	1919	1927	Built as a Bobr . Taken over by Germany in 1918 and handed over to Estonia after the First World War . Out of service there in 1927 and broken up.
Laene				Gunboat
Meeme				Gunboat
Mardus				Gunboat
Tasuja				Gunboat
Ahti				Gunboat	1908	1919	-	Part of the Lake Peipus flotilla
Ilmatar				Gunboat				Part of the Lake Peipus flotilla
Taara				Gunboat	1913	1919	1920	Part of the Lake Peipus flotilla
Tartu				Gunboat	1908	1919	-	Part of the Lake Peipus flotilla
Uku				Gunboat	1912	1919	1920	Part of the Lake Peipus flotilla
Vanemuine				Gunboat	1914	1919	1920	Part of the Lake Peipus flotilla
Ristna		Russian Empire		Mine layers	1905		-	Built in 1905 as the passenger steamer Apostol Pyotr in Glasgow and added to the Baltic fleet in 1915. Handed over to Finland in March 1918 and made it to Estonia in 1922. There it was converted into a mine-layer in 1926 and taken over again by the Baltic fleet in 1040 when Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union.
Suurop		Russian Empire		Mine layers			-	Built as the passenger steamer Apostol Pavel in Glasgow. Taken over by the Baltic Fleet when Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940.
Vaindlo				Minesweeper
Keri				Minesweeper
Tahkona				Minesweeper
Lehtma				Minesweeper
Sulev		The German Imperium	A-class coastal torpedo boat	Torpedo boat	1916	1923	-	Built as SMS A 32 . Stranded during the Battle of Moon Sound. Salvaged by the Estonian Navy and commissioned as Sulev . After the occupation of Estonia by the Soviet Union in 1940 in their Baltic fleet.
Kalev		United Kingdom	Kalev class	Submarine	1936	1937	-	At Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd. built for the Estonian Navy. Taken over by the Baltic Fleet when Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940.
Lembite		United Kingdom	Kalev class	Submarine	1936	1937	-	At Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd. built for the Estonian Navy. Taken over by the Baltic Fleet when Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940.
Laine
compass				Auxiliary ship				Cable layers
Lood				Auxiliary ship				Research ship

Fleet since 1993

When the fleet was rebuilt, units of foreign naval forces that had been retired were initially taken over. Against the background of joining NATO, the Estonian Navy underwent modernization. Above all, the anti-mine equipment was improved.

Former ships

Name (body number)	photo	origin	Ship class	use	Built	Commissioning (Estonia)	Decommissioning (Estonia)	Remarks
Lembite		United Kingdom / Soviet Union	Kalev class	Submarine	1936	1994	2011	Returned by the Soviet Navy on April 27, 1992 - today a museum ship in the Estonian Maritime Museum
Grif (P401)		Soviet Union	Zhuk class ( Project 1400M )	Patrol boat	1976	1994	2001	previously patrol boat of the Estonian Defense Association
Sulev (M412)		German Democratic Republic / Germany	Condor class	Minesweeper / command ship	1972	1994	2000	Ex Meteor the People's Navy , along with the - Comet 1994 Estonia away
Ahti (A431)		Denmark	Maagen class	Auxiliary ship	1960	1994	2009	Ex- Mallemukken of the Danish Navy
Kalev (M414)		Germany	Women praise class	Minesweeper	1966	1997	2003	Ex- Minerva (M 2663) of the German Navy - today a museum ship in the Estonian Maritime Museum
Olev (M415)		Germany	Women praise class	Minesweeper	1966	1997	2005	Ex Diana (M2664) of the German Navy. 2008 auction planned.
Suurop (P421)		Finland	Rihtniemi- class	Patrol boat	1956	1999	2005	Ex- Rymättylä (51) of the Finnish Naval Forces
Ristna (P422)		Finland	Rihtniemi- class	Patrol boat	1956	1999	2005	Ex- Rihtniemi (52) of the Finnish Naval Forces, is still used as a training ship for the Estonian Defense Association
Wambola (M311)		Germany	Lindau class	Mine hunting boat	1959	2000	2009	Ex- Cuxhaven (M1078) of the German Navy
Sulev (M312)		Germany	Lindau class	Mine hunting boat	1958	2000	2009	Ex- Lindau (M1072) of the German Navy
Admiral Pitka (A230)		Denmark	Beskytteren- class	Support frigate	1975	2000	2013	Ex- Beskytteren of the Danish Navy . After decommissioning, parts of the equipment at the Estonian Naval Academy were used for training purposes.
Vaindlo (M416)		Germany	Women praise class	Minesweeper	1966	2003	2005	Ex- Undine (M2662) of the German Navy. 2008 auction planned.
Tasuja (A432)		Denmark	Lindormen class	Auxiliary ship	1977	2006	2016	Supply & command ship, support ship for mine divers
Lood (A530)				Auxiliary ship	2000	2012	2019	Support ship for (mine) divers, previously as EVA-321 at the Estonian Maritime Administration

Current ships

Name (body number)	photo	origin	Ship class	use	Built	Commissioning (Estonia)	Remarks
Admiral Cowan (M313)		United Kingdom	Sandown class	Mine hunting boat	1988	2007	Modernized in 2019 as the first of the three identical ships (Thales Sonar 2193 etc.)
Sakala (M314)		United Kingdom	Sandown class	Mine hunting boat	1990	2008
Ugandi (M315)		United Kingdom	Sandown class	Mine hunting boat	1992	2009
Wambola (A433)		Denmark	Lindormen class	Auxiliary ship	1977	2016	Supply & command ship, support ship for mine divers

modernization

After the modernization of the fleet at the beginning of the 21st century, which was initiated in connection with NATO accession, in the last few years it has been limited to maintenance measures and investments in the infrastructure. For example, the defense development plan for the years 2013-2022 only provided for the maintenance and modernization of the mine defense division (three mine-hunting boats, diving group and an auxiliary ship). From 2018 the modernization of the minehunters of the Sandown class began. Work on all three ships should be completed by the end of 2019. Miinisadam (the naval base in Tallinn) had already been modernized beforehand, so that the living and training conditions there for all soldiers now meet current (NATO) standards.

In the current defense development plan for the years 2017–2026, only further development in the area of ​​mine defense is planned for the Navy. So it came as a surprise that in April 2020 the procurement of two new patrol boats from domestic production was announced. The state is planning this contract worth € 3.9 million u. a. also as a stimulation measure for the domestic economy hit by the COVID-19 pandemic .

Ordered ships

Name (body number)	photo	origin	Ship class	use	Built	Commissioning (Estonia)	Remarks
still unknown		Estonia	Patrol 18 WP class	Patrol boat	2020-2021	expected in 2021	Boat 18 m long; Material: marine aluminum partially ballistically protected; Top speed up to 35 knots; Equipment: two to three remote-controlled 12.7 mm machine guns
still unknown		Estonia	Patrol 18 WP class	Patrol boat	2020-2021	expected in 2021	Boat 18 m long; Material: marine aluminum partially ballistically protected; Top speed up to 35 knots; Equipment: two to three remote-controlled 12.7 mm machine guns

Operations and international cooperation

Admiral Pitka visits Helsinki

Since 1995, the Estonian Navy has participated in most of the international maneuvers and operations in the Baltic Sea. Although it was only newly established in 1993 and despite the fact that it comprises one of the smallest fleets in the world, the young crews of the ships have demonstrated excellent ability to work together during international exercises and have proven themselves to be equal partners to fleets in other countries.

From May 2005 to March 2006 the frigate Admiral Pitka (A230) was assigned as the lead ship of the Standing NRF Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) of NATO . Admiral Pitka was the first ship in the Baltic States to participate in this naval unit of the NATO Response Force . SNMCMG1 is one of the main NATO partners of the Estonian Navy.

BALTRON

In 1998 the Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) was founded. The main task of BALTRON is to improve the cooperation between the Baltic states in the areas of maritime defense and security. BALTRON works closely with NATO and ensures that its units are always ready for any operations.

Each Baltic state appoints one or two ships for a certain period of time and staff for one year. Working at Baltron gives both the crews and the staff officers an opportunity to work in an international environment and to exchange experiences in mine control . Estonia operates facilities on the coast for BALTRON, which are used by the multinational staff.

In 2015, Estonia withdrew from the joint sea operations in the area of ​​mine defense in order to focus exclusively on operations under NATO command in the future. Latvia and Lithuania and have continued the fleet maneuvers alone since then.

Operation Atalanta

On November 12, 2010, members of the Estonian Navy were commissioned by Lieutenant General Ants Laaneots to participate in the EU NAVFOR Somalia . The 10-person team had completed a pre-training course that included training in small-unit combat, military police tactics, and abseiling from helicopters, as well as QCB and weapons training. The crew was commanded by Vanemleitnant Rait Luks and was stationed on the frigate Hamburg until April 2011 , where they worked closely with the German Navy .

The team acted as Mobile Protection Element (MPE) and Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD). As MPE, the Estonians were tasked with protecting the frigate against threats in close proximity - for example from speedboats. The main task of the Estonian soldiers was the protection of WFP and AMISOM ships . As a VPD, the team could be brought on board of merchant ships using an on-board helicopter or rubber boat and act independently. A paramedic ensured medical care for the squad.

literature

• Eric Wertheim: The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems , US Naval Institute Press, 2007, ISBN 1-59114-955-X , pp. 182 ff.

Web links

Commons : Estonian Navy  - Collection of Images

• Website of Estonian naval forces (English)
• National Defense Development Plan 2013-2022 PDF (English)
• Estonian Naval Museum (Estonian)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Juhtimine , accessed February 19, 2020 (Estonian)
2. ↑ First Years of the Re-establishment of Estonia's Naval Defense , accessed on April 5, 2020 (English)
3. ^ The Jane's Interview with Commodore Roland Leit . Jane's Defense Weekly , July 9, 1994, p.32
4. ↑ Laevastik retrieved (Estonian) on October 31, 2014
5. ↑ ^{a b} Tuukrid ( Memento of the original from October 31, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed on October 31, 2014 (Estonian) 
6. ↑ Center of Naval Education and Training (CNET) ( Memento June 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
7. ↑ Belgium only wanted a MG and a cartridge from the NVA - Nachrichten DIE WELT - DIE WELT Welt online , 2/1996, Peter Schmalz, accessed on July 5, 2009
8. ↑ MINEHUNTERS OF ESTONIAN NAVY ( Memento from June 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
9. ↑ ^{a b} Report on www.postimees.ee about the planned auction , accessed on August 3, 2014 (Estonian)
10. ↑ Report on www.delfi.ee on the further use of the Admiral Pitka , accessed on September 3, 2017 (Estonian)
11. ↑ ^{a b c} Ajalugu , accessed October 31, 2014 (Estonian)
12. ↑ Babcock completes upgrade work on Estonian Navy minehunter online report on naval-technology.com from February 4, 2019, accessed on February 13, 2019 (English)
13. ↑ Message on www.mil.ee about the modernization of the Admiral Cowan , accessed on July 4, 2017 (Estonian)
14. ↑ National defense development plan 2017–2026 at www.kaitseministeerium.ee , accessed on April 13, 2020 (English)
15. ↑ Online notification at www.kaitseministeerium.ee , accessed on April 18, 2020 (English)
16. ↑ Online message on "the baltic course" of 9 January 2015 accessed on 24 April 2015 (English)
17. ↑ Message on the website of the Lithuanian Navy from April 22, 2015, accessed on April 24, 2015 (English)
18. ↑ Kaitseväe juhataja saatis laevakaitsemeeskonna teele ( Memento from July 19, 2012 in the Internet Archive )