A British Army brigade will be assigned to Estonia along with newly-acquired and yet-to-be inducted weapon platforms such as the Challenger 3 main battle tank.
The UK announced the commitment at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels last week as part of a reinforcement effort for the defense of NATO’s eastern flank.
The British Army’s 4th Brigade will be put on high readiness in the UK as part of the effort in times of crisis or conflict.
London already maintains a permanently deployed armored battle group in Estonia, which has been part of the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Estonian Defence Forces since 2017.
The newly assigned brigade will be put through regular readiness exercises before deployment, such as Hedgehog in 2025.
“As global threats increase, the UK’s unshakeable commitment to NATO has never been more important,” British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
“We are boosting our support for Estonia, with thousands of troops ready to deploy rapidly to the Russian border.”
British Weapons in Estonia
A range of combat platforms will be assigned to the assigned brigade including Archer self-propelled howitzers, Boxer infantry vehicles, Ajax armored personnel carriers, and Challenger 3 tanks.
The British Army recently received its first Archer from Sweden, while the Boxer and the Ajax are scheduled to receive their initial operational capability in 2025.
The Challenger 3, meanwhile, will receive its initial operational capability in 2027 and full operational capability three years later.
“Close defense cooperation between Estonia and the United Kingdom is becoming increasingly concrete,” Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur said.
“The roadmap we signed today stems from the NATO regional plans. One of its key aspects is the long-term commitment that the United Kingdom will assign the 4th Brigade as a reinforcement for Estonia.”
Challenger 3
The latest Challenger variant will feature a range of upgrades and changes over its predecessor, most notably a 120mm L55A1 smoothbore gun as its main weapon.
When coupled with Challenger 3’s fire control system, the L55A1 has been found to be more accurate than the L30A1 120 mm rifled gun currently mounted on the Challenger 2.
“If we fire a set amount of rounds [with Challenger 3’s smoothbore gun], the ammunition is incredibly consistent,” Janes quoted Warrant Officer Class 2 Stewart Baird as saying.
“The ammunition is better with smoothbore. The long-rod penetrator on the armor-piercing round is almost twice the length [of its predecessor],” the Challenger 3 User Engagement Team leader added.
Additionally, the transition from the rifled gun will allow greater interoperability with NATO. However, it will require the development of kinetic energy rounds.
The 66-ton tank also features next-generation modular armor, the Trophy Active Protection System, and advanced communications.
The British Army is expected to receive around 148 Challenger 3s as replacements for the Challenger 2s. However, how many will be committed to Estonia is not yet clear.