Prime Minister Ratas acknowledged the good work of the Defence Forces

Stenbock House, 8 March 2018 – Yesterday, while visiting the Scouts Battalion and Kalev Infantry Battalion, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas stated that the development of armoured manoeuvring capability is, in addition to the strengthening Estonia's independent defence capability, also important in terms of the signal being sent to our allies. „Protected are those who want and are also able to protect themselves,“ said the Prime Minister.


Prime Minister Ratas admitted that the country's defence capabilities rely on well-prepared and motivated servicemen. „Thanks to the actions of its professional Defence Forces, Estonia has also proved itself as being a capable and reliable ally in international operations. In order to maintain this, we must continue to value the profession of soldier,“ the Prime Minister emphasised.


At the meeting, Commander of the Operations Section of the Scouts Battalion, Major Mattias Puusepp, and Chief of Staff of the Kalev Infantry Battalion, Major Meelis Mandre, presented an overview of the equipment, armaments and vehicles used by the military units.
 In addition, the Prime Minister learned about unit formation and training plans and familiarised himself with the living conditions of the Kalev Infantry Battalion's conscripts.


The biggest ongoing military development project for the Defence Forces is the transitioning of the Scouts Battalion to the use of CV90 infantry fighting vehicles. „The development of armoured manoeuvring capability considerably increases the country's defence capability, allowing Estonian soldiers to act more decisively, when necessary,“ said the Prime Minister. To ensure better training conditions, the Scouts Battalion will be moving to the Tapa armed forces campus.


In order to commemorate all servicemen who have fallen during foreign missions, the Prime Minister laid flowers at Camp Bastion’s memorial wall.
The memorial was erected in the Estonian’s camp in Southern Afghanistan in October 2010, and was brought to Estonia in 2014. 


Photos from the meeting are available at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oxcg5b7vobvx68g/AAA-DghRrs6d1Kk_QKt_HXkQa?dl=0