“Next year, a unit of around 1,200 troops will deploy to Estonia, equipped with modern weaponry that is well suited to local conditions. In addition, an entire British Army brigade will remain at high readiness in the United Kingdom, ready to reinforce Estonia if required. Already this year, the United Kingdom will begin pre-positioning equipment and ammunition stocks in Estonia for our reinforcement brigade, enabling it to respond significantly faster in the event of a crisis,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur. “British soldiers have served in Estonia for almost a decade, and these decisions reaffirm the close cooperation between our two countries and the United Kingdom’s long-term commitment to our shared security,” he added.
"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." said UK Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP. "More people, better mobility, and the latest tech means a more lethal and effective force, ready to fight and win alongside allies."
The updated roadmap sets out Estonia’s and the UK’s cooperation over the coming years to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. The new battlegroup will be larger, more mobile and more effective than its predecessor, structured to meet the demands of modern warfare and informed by lessons learned from Ukraine. Like the British units currently serving in Estonia, it will operate as part of the 1st Infantry Brigade and will be based at Tapa. Estonia will continue to provide the best possible conditions and infrastructure for hosting Allied forces, including training facilities and logistical support.
The roadmap also provides for cooperation in developing deep strike capabilities, including the exchange of expertise, the development of the Estonian Defence Forces’ capabilities, and the deployment of UK systems to Estonia.
In addition, the UK’s 4th Brigade will deploy to Estonia for exercises in 2027. The brigade will remain at high readiness in the United Kingdom and continue to be maintained and developed as a reinforcement force for Estonia in the event of a crisis or conflict. Its deployment to Estonia was already exercised during Exercise Siil in 2025 and Exercise Kevadtorm in 2026.
The roadmap also includes agreements on potential joint procurement projects and cooperation in developing the defence industry.
The UK-led NATO battlegroup has been continuously deployed in Estonia since 2017 and forms the core of the Allied forces stationed in the country.
Estonia and the United Kingdom also cooperate closely within the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which brings together like-minded nations to enable rapid and flexible responses to a wide range of crises. The United Kingdom has also made repeated contributions to NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission.
