Back to news

June 15, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR

Estonia’s new law opens door for weapons export, defense industry growth

By:

WARSAW, Poland — Estonia's Parliament has amended legislation to allow Estonian companies to make and handle military weapons and gear. The law paves the way for the development of the country's defense industry and the export of weapons and equipment by local players.

Estonian Defence Minister Jüri Luik said in a statement that, to date, the Estonian military has acquired its gear almost exclusively abroad, but now the situation is expected to change, and export opportunities for the country's defense industry will also increase.

“The absence of a right to handle weapons and ammunition has long been a serious concern for Estonia's defense industry, one that hinders the development of the defense sector,” Luik said.

The legislation's summary states it “provides a legal framework for Estonian companies to begin to manufacture, maintain, import and export military weapons, ammunition, munitions and combat vehicles. The existing legislation does not allow this.”

The ministry expects between five and six local companies to apply for the required licenses in the first year.

The move comes as Estonia is planning a defense spending hike, with military expenditure to total €2.4 billion (U.S. $2.8 billion) in the next four years, according to Luik. Last April, the ministry unveiled the country's updated investment program for the years 2018-2022. Among others, Estonia aims to purchase munitions for about €100 million.

Owing to the amended legislation, Estonian defense companies could also become suppliers to neighboring Lithuania and Latvia.

Lithuania has allocated €873 million to its defense budget this year, up 20.6 percent compared with 2017. Latvia's military expenditure for 2018 is to reach €576.34 million, up €126.8 million compared with a year earlier.

https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2018/06/14/estonias-new-law-opens-door-for-weapons-export-defense-industry-growth/

On the same subject

  • US Navy orders General Dynamics shipyard to stop work after small fire on the warship Kearsarge

    July 21, 2020 | International, Naval

    US Navy orders General Dynamics shipyard to stop work after small fire on the warship Kearsarge

    By: David B. Larter Update: The headline of this story was changed to more accurately characterize the incident onboard the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge. WASHINGTON — A rapidly extinguished fire aboard the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge prompted the Navy to issue a “stop work order” Friday to General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in Norfolk, Naval Sea Systems Command told Defense News Saturday. The incident started when a spark from welding landed on nearby material, which was then quickly put out by the fire watch. Fire watch is a sailor or contractor who stands nearby with a fire hose and/or extinguisher to stop a larger blaze in its tracks. In a statement, Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman Rory O'Connor said the “stop work” was to ensure the company followed fire safety protocols. “On July 17, the Navy was informed of a fire aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), currently conducting a Selected Restricted Availability at General Dynamics NASSCO – Norfolk,” O'Connor said. “The fire was quickly extinguished by the fire watch and resulted in minimal damage. In response to this incident, the Navy has issued a stop work order for all ships in maintenance availabilities at GD NASSCO Norfolk to ensure compliance with all established fire protocols and procedures.” In a phone call Saturday, Anthony Paolino, a General Dynamics NASSCO spokesman, said the incident involved an ember landing on plastic, causing it to melt and smoke, but said there was no larger fire. NASSCO was already reviewing its safety protocols prior to the “stop work” order, and that it fully supported the Navy's ongoing safety stand down in the wake of this week's fire aboard Bonhomme Richard, Paolino said. In a phone call Saturday, Anthony Paolino, a General Dynamics NASSCO spokesman, said the incident involved an ember landing on plastic, causing it to melt and smoke, but said there was no larger fire. NASSCO was already reviewing its safety protocols prior to the “stop work” order, and that it fully supported the Navy's ongoing safety stand down in the wake of this week's fire aboard Bonhomme Richard, Paolino said. Once those investigations are finished, Gilday will determine whether a broader examination of the Navy's culture is necessary. “This is a very, very serious incident that I think will force the Navy to stand back and reevaluate itself,” Gilday said. “We've got to follow the facts, we've got to be honest with ourselves and we've got to get after it. My intention, once the investigations are done, is to make this available for the public to debate, including what we need to do to get after any systemic problems that we might have.” https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/07/18/us-navy-orders-to-general-dynamics-nassco-to-stop-work-after-fire-on-uss-kearsarge/

  • Six hours to share one piece of data? Here's a faster, more secure way

    October 27, 2022 | International, C4ISR

    Six hours to share one piece of data? Here's a faster, more secure way

    Trusted Data Format is an open standard for protecting data with military-grade encryption

  • Photo feature: On board 'The Mighty Ike' with Carrier Strike Group 2 - Skies Mag

    August 16, 2023 | International, Naval

    Photo feature: On board 'The Mighty Ike' with Carrier Strike Group 2 - Skies Mag

    An exclusive look at operations on board the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier, as Carrier Strike Group 2 performs a Composite Training Unit Exercise.

All news