Estonia has approved the creation of a new unit within its defense forces to accelerate military modernization and strengthen long-term defense capabilities.
Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said that the “Future Capability and Innovation Command” will focus on developing and testing advanced defense solutions with support from Tallinn’s defense industry.
“The war in Ukraine has shown how quickly the battlefield is changing and how important it is to develop innovative defense capabilities,” Pevkur said.
“The goal … is to test, develop and implement future defense capabilities in cooperation with the defense industry.”
Maj. Ivo Peets, who will lead the command, added that the formation is planned to combine military expertise and leverage both defense and civilian resources to close gaps and fast-track tasks in producing technologies and associated methods.
He emphasized that innovation “does not always consist of inventing new solutions, but rather in enhancing and thoughtfully implementing what already exists throughout Estonia — be it knowledge, resources, infrastructure or best practices.”
The creation of the command is part of the Baltic state’s 10-billion-euro ($11.5-billion) defense development strategy for 2026 to 2029, which includes building new air defense systems, reinforcing long-range strike capabilities, and improving overall military preparedness.
Next year’s national defense budget is set at 2.4 billion euros ($2.7 billion), reflecting the NATO country’s continued investment in security amid evolving regional threats.
