Estonia has moved to strengthen its coastline with missiles and naval mines. Estonia's Defence Ministry plans an increase in military spending to strengthen coastal defences with naval mine and anti-ship missiles, while also awaiting support from neighbouring countries. The project was included in the modernisation work in the defence budget of €645 million for 2021. The defence ministry sees the cost of the coastal arms project at around €50 million.
The coastal defence program is above the normal defence budget approved by 2026, the government said in a statement.
Estonia and its Baltic neighbours, Lithuania and Latvia, fear that Russia may move in future smaller NATO countries to remind them of Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
211216-N-QI061-1222 NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (December 16, 2021) An MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), assigned to Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 (VUP-19), sits on the flight line at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, Dec. 16, 2021. VUP-19, the Navy’s first Triton squadron, will continue to maintain and operate the aircraft off the East Coast to further develop the concept of operations and refine tactics, techniques, and procedures. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan T. Beard/ Released)