Estonia opens military camp to accommodate NATO forces close to Russian border
The camp located near Võru is close to Estonia’s border with Russia. (Photo: ECDI)
The facility, which cost €21 million to construct, will be able to house 1,000 people and provide a home for exercises and crisis situations.
The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) has handed control of the Reedo military camp over to the Estonian Defence Forces 2ndInfantry Brigade following the opening of the facility.
The camp, located near Võru in south-eastern Estonia close to the country’s border with Russia, can permanently and temporarily accommodate units from Allied Forces or Estonian Defence Forces, according to the ECDI.
Built at a cost of €21 million, it will provide a designated area for allies in southern Estonia, with the aim of holding peacetime exercises and offering a base for crisis situations. It can accommodate up to 1,000 people across eight halls.
“Former allied units were accommodated in Taara barracks, where we provided them with a barracks and built one of Estonia’s largest container camps,” said Peeter Karja, the southern portfolio manager of ECDI.
“With the new barracks, they can stay near the training area during exercises and practice defending Estonia under good conditions,” Karja added.
Estonian minister of defence Hanno Pevkur said that the camp met a requirement for the country to “be ready to host allies on a much larger scale according to NATO's new defence plans”, while Colonel Mati Tikerpuu, commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, noted that Allied and Estonian troops and units could focus on training during peacetime at the facility.
“They need supporting infrastructure – a dining hall, accommodation and maintenance facilities, and a place to store equipment,” Tikerpuu remarked.
More from Land Warfare
-
![Israel’s Elbit Systems riding high and reports almost a billion dollars in orders to close 2024]()
Israel’s Elbit Systems riding high and reports almost a billion dollars in orders to close 2024
Elbit Systems has signed another US$967 million in orders in the past three months after reporting its land revenues increased by 24% for 3Q2024 compared to 3Q 2023 thanks to increasing ammunition and munition sales in Israel.
-
![BAE Systems receives $656 million contract for more Bradley vehicles]()
BAE Systems receives $656 million contract for more Bradley vehicles
BAE Systems has been contracted to install modifications on older versions of the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) creating the M2A4 and M7A4 and keeping the platform in service until 2050.
-
![Poland declares capability for Wisła medium-range air defence system]()
Poland declares capability for Wisła medium-range air defence system
Poland has been investing heavily in new defence equipment, including billions-of-dollars in air defence systems such as Narew and Wisła to provide multi-tier coverage, as well as in C2 systems such as IBCS.
-
![US sanctions fail to rattle India as it looks to Russian long-range radar]()
US sanctions fail to rattle India as it looks to Russian long-range radar
India has been navigating a strategic balancing act in its defence modernisation efforts as it considers deals with Russia and the US.
-
![Land Warfare Preview 2025: Questions remain in a time of change]()
Land Warfare Preview 2025: Questions remain in a time of change
The land war in Ukraine has dominated the posture, spending and actions of Russia and NATO countries for two years. With a new US Government committed to ending the conflict early in 2025, there are implications on all three of those fronts.
