The UK will increase its military presence in Estonia and reshape its forces there to focus on mobile anti-armour operations under a new defence agreement aimed at strengthening NATO's
eastern flank and deterring Russia.
The roadmap, signed in Tallinn on Thursday by UK Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis and Estonia's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur, sets out closer cooperation on defence, military technology, industrial partnerships and innovation.
From April 2027, Britain's Forward Land Forces in Estonia will transition from an armoured battlegroup to a Mobile Anti-Armour Force, reflecting lessons drawn from the war in Ukraine and the changing nature of modern warfare.
The new force will grow from around 800 to 1,200 personnel and will be equipped with highly mobile vehicles, advanced anti-armour weapons and drones designed for Estonia's operational environment.
British officials said the redesigned force would be able to move more quickly, disperse across the battlefield and respond more effectively to modern surveillance and precision-strike threats than conventional armoured formations.
The move follows extensive joint analysis and military exercises between the UK and Estonia, which concluded that the new structure would provide greater operational effectiveness than the current deployment.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP said: “We are strengthening our deployment in Estonia to defend NATO territory and deter Russian aggression. This new roadmap reflects the realities of warfare today and shows how we are modernising our forces to meet the threats we face.
More people, better mobility, and the latest tech means a more lethal and effective force, ready to fight and win alongside allies”.
Estonian Minister for Defence Hanno Pevkur said: “Next year nearly 1,200 British soldiers will arrive in Estonia, equipped with modern weaponry that is well suited to the local environment. In addition, an entire British Army brigade in the United Kingdom will continue to be maintained at constant readiness to come to our assistance if needed.
Already this year, the United Kingdom will begin pre-positioning equipment and ammunition stocks in Estonia for our reinforcement brigade, enabling the unit to respond significantly faster in a crisis situation.
British troops have been stationed here for almost ten years, and the decision to deploy additional troops further reinforces the close cooperation between our two countries and the United Kingdom’s long-term commitment to our shared security”.
British troops have been stationed in Estonia for almost a decade as part of NATO's enhanced forward presence following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Under the new roadmap, the UK also plans to upgrade its Multiple Launch Rocket System with more precise capabilities, maintain short-range air defence assets and introduce new technologies during future force rotations.
The two countries also agreed to deepen cooperation on emerging military technologies, including the UK's ASGARD battlefield digitisation programme, which uses artificial intelligence, digital targeting systems and advanced command-and-control technology to improve battlefield decision-making and precision strikes.
The agreement also reinforces collaboration through the Joint Expeditionary Force, a UK-led coalition of northern European countries designed to respond rapidly to regional security threats.
British officials said the changes would create a more mobile, resilient and technologically advanced force while reaffirming the UK's long-term commitment to Estonia and NATO's collective defence. Photo by Geonarva, Wikimedia commons.
