Comprehensive National Defence

The primary task of Estonia's national defence is to prevent a potential attack against Estonia and ensure that, if necessary, the country can successfully defend itself.

The aim of Estonia's national defence is not only to win a potential conflict but also to prevent conflict through deterrence – this is the most effective and cost-efficient way to protect the country.

Comprehensive national defence enhances the resilience and readiness of Estonian society for any crises. Therefore, comprehensive national defence also has a deterrent effect, as it sends a message to any potential aggressor that Estonia is a resilient nation and society.
According to the concept of comprehensive national defence, national defence is divided into six main interrelated areas, each with specific responsible parties. The principle followed is that institutions responsible for a given area during wartime must also be responsible during peacetime.

National defence is described as a collection of broad-based activities in the following areas:

• Continuity of the state and society:

  this area covers ensuring the continuity of vital services or other services of significance to national defence in any situation. It also takes into account the public authorities' ability to perform their core duties in a crisis situation, risk insurance in governance, agility, and the strategic leadership capacity of the state. The functioning of various services in a crisis is necessary for the population as a whole, as well as for various authorities or other legal entities. Additionally, to achieve societal cohesion, public awareness and readiness for crises must be increased. Attacks on vital or other important services weaken society's resilience. Ensuring continuity guarantees the functioning of society in dangerous situations and provides better conditions for resolving the ongoing crisis or repelling an enemy attack.

• International action:

  This area involves the prevention, reduction of tensions, and the creation of appropriate conditions for credible deterrence, as well as the application of collective defence and crisis management. Through international action, Estonia ensures favorable conditions in the international environment that are necessary and assist in effectively implementing NATO's collective defence or international crisis management. Additionally, international action aims to ensure that in the event of a crisis or armed conflict, solidarity and a unified situational awareness prevail among NATO and European Union member states.

• Strategic communication:

  tegevussuund This area includes the development of the state's strategic communication and psychological defence. The goal of strategic communication in this document's context is to ensure support for Estonia's security policy, maintain public awareness of the security situation, avoid panic, neutralise hostile influence operations, and expose and prevent the spread of misinformation. Strategic communication involves planning and consolidating state activities into a unified communication effort and transmitting it to society.

• Internal Security:

  This area encompasses ensuring internal security and the readiness of institutions during a crisis or attack, as well as the protection of Estonia's independence, sovereignty, and constitutional order. Internal security ensures the prevention of any covert or hybrid activities aimed at undermining Estonia's constitutional order and the protection of public order. In the event of an attack against Estonia, the fulfillment of the institutions' core responsibilities, the availability of necessary assistance to citizens, and the resolution of accompanying crises are guaranteed.

• Civil sector support for military defence:

  This area focuses on the efficient mobilisation of military defence and its effective operation. Civil sector support includes mobilisation, the deployment of state assets, the reception of allies and the provision of necessary infrastructure, the application of compulsory duties, and contractual relationships with owners of critical resources and services. Civil sector support for military defence should not significantly reduce the overall resilience of society.

• Military defence:

  This area covers the development and maintenance of independent defence capabilities and the implementation of NATO's collective defence. Estonia's military defence is based on an independent defence capability and NATO's collective defence. Military defence ensures sufficient capacities to safeguard the country's sovereignty and to prevent, block, and repel a military attack.