Estonian Defence Forces
| Estonian Defence Forces | |
|---|---|
| Eesti Kaitsevägi | |
Emblem of the Estonian Defence Forces | |
Flag of the Estonian Defence Forces | |
| Founded | 12 November 1918 |
| Current form | 3 September 1991 |
| Service branches | Estonian Land Forces Estonian Navy Estonian Air Force |
| Headquarters | Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces, Tallinn |
| Website | https://mil.ee/en/ |
| Leadership | |
| President | Alar Karis |
| Prime Minister | Kristen Michal |
| Minister of Defence | Hanno Pevkur |
| Commander of the Defence Forces | Lieutenant General Andrus Merilo |
| Deputy Commander of Defence Forces | Brigadier general Viktor Kalnitski |
| Command Sergeant Major | CSM Andreas Rebane |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18 |
| Conscription | 8 or 11 months (12 months from 2027 on) |
| Active personnel | 8,200 (4,000 conscripts) |
| Reserve personnel | 230,000 (38,800 in rapid response readiness, 80 000 have received training) |
| Deployed personnel | 141 |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | €2.402 billion (2026) |
| Percent of GDP | 5.43% (2026) |
| Related articles | |
| History | |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Estonia |
The Estonian Defence Forces, EDF (Estonian: Eesti Kaitsevägi), is the unified military force of the Republic of Estonia. The Estonian Defence Forces consists of the Estonian Land Forces, the Estonian Navy, the Estonian Air Force, and the paramilitary Estonian Defence League. The national defence policy aims to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state and maintain the integrity of its land area, territorial waters, airspace, and constitutional order. Its main goals remain the development and maintenance of a credible capability to defend the nation's vital interests and of the defence forces in a way that ensures their interoperability with the armed forces of NATO and European Union member states in order to participate in the full range of missions for these military alliances.