The US is set to deploy additional rotational forces in Estonia to strengthen Nato’s forward defences in the eastern flank.

This was confirmed by the Estonian Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a media statement released on 8 December.

The latest move follows the announcement made by US President Joe Biden during the Madrid Summit earlier this year.

The effort is also a part of a longer series of deployments to increase the US’ presence in the Baltic States and to strengthen the security of its allied and partner nations.

The additional deployment, which is scheduled to happen in the coming weeks, comprises a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) platoon, along with associated command and control equipment and systems, and an infantry company.

HIMARS is expected to provide critical firepower to Estonia’s defensive posture.

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Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said: “Estonia continues to take significant steps to develop its independent self-defence capabilities.

“We expect to receive our own HIMARS systems by 2025, so being able to learn the ropes early with the US troops will make the adoption even smoother and win us critical time.”

All the new units will provide training to the Estonian forces while improving interoperability and readiness between the two nations’ forces.

The Estonian forces will also work in coordination with US military units to form a divisional structure in Estonia, as part of Nato’s framework.

To receive final certification for the division formations, the participating Estonian forces will join the US Warfighter programme, composed of various exercises and a capstone training event.

Last month, Estonia and the UK agreed to establish a roadmap to increase defence cooperation and to strengthen the UK’s enhanced forward presence in Estonia.