Should Finland become a NATO member, the country would probably have to station troops in the Baltics and participate in policing the Baltic airspace, Janne Kuusela, head of the defense policy department of the Finnish Ministry of Defense, said.
The major Western Estonian islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa want to strengthen their own and, in turn, Estonian security more broadly. Saaremaa islanders want a naval base on their island, while Hiiumaa islanders have expressed interest in a coastal defense unit.
Last Thursday and Friday, NATO capability planning negotiations were held at the Ministry of Defense to discuss with NATO the current state of Estonia's military defense and civilian resilience as well as future plans. The alliance holds regular consultations with each member state once every two years.
Estonia received a positive decision on the grant application for EstMilMob, a military mobility project aimed at improving transport connections toward Tapa Army Base over the next five years. The total cost of the project is €62 million, half of which will be financed by the EU.