| Estonian Division | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | December 2022 - current |
| Country | Estonia |
| Branch | Estonian Land Forces |
| Headquarters location | Tallinn |
| Website | https://mil.ee/en/landforces/estonian-division/ |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Veiko-Vello Palm |
The Estonian Division is the main combat unit of the Estonian Land Forces. The division was established in December 2022 and commands the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades as well as an artillery battalion and support units.
An agreement to establish the division was an outcome of the June 2022 Madrid summit. [1] It was formed in December 2022. [2] Major-General Veiko-Vello Palm was appointed to command the division in January 2023. [3]
The Estonian Division is responsible for the defence of the entire country. [1] It can also be assigned to NATO, and forms part of NATO's Multinational Corps Northeast. [2]
Major-General Veiko-Vello Palm was the first commander of the division. He retired in March 2024. [4]
As of January 2024, the Estonian Division comprised:
British Army forces stationed in Estonia support the Estonian Division. A British brigade is held at high readiness to deploy to Estonia. During deployments the brigade would form part of the Estonian Division. [7]
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr together with the Marine and the Luftwaffe. As of January 2022, the German Army had a strength of 62,766 soldiers.
The 6th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army active in World War I, World War II, and the last years of the Cold War. Known as "Red Star", it was previously called the "Sight Seein' Sixth".
The Battle of Narva Bridgehead was the campaign that stalled the Soviet Estonian operation in the surroundings of the town of Narva for six months. It was the first phase of the Battle of Narva campaign fought at the Eastern Front during World War II, the second phase being the Battle of Tannenberg Line.
The Battle of Tannenberg Line or the Battle of the Blue Hills was a military engagement between the German Army Detachment Narwa and the Soviet Leningrad Front. They fought for the strategically important Narva Isthmus from 25 July–10 August 1944. The battle was fought on the Eastern Front during World War II. The strategic aim of the Soviet Estonian Operation was to reoccupy Estonia as a favorable base for the invasions of Finland and East Prussia. Waffen-SS forces included 24 volunteer infantry battalions from the SS Division Nordland, the SS Division Langemarck, the SS Division Nederland, and the Walloon Legion. Roughly half of the infantry consisted of the personnel of the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS. The German force of 22,250 men held off 136,830 Soviet troops. As the Soviet forces were constantly reinforced, their overall casualties are estimated by Estonian historian Mart Laar to be 170,000 dead and wounded.
Below is an estimated list of the major units deployed within the Multi-National Force – Iraq and other United States military units that were operating in Iraq under the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) in 2009, during the Iraq War.
The coats of arms of the 15 counties of Estonia are presented below.
The Estonian Land Forces, unofficially referred to as the Estonian Army, is the name of the unified ground forces among the Estonian Defense Forces where it has an offensive military formation role. It is currently the largest Estonian military branch, with an average size of approximately 6,000 soldiers, conscripts, and officers during peacetime.
15th Artillery Battalion of the 1st Infantry Brigade, formerly the Artillery Group, is an artillery battalion of the Estonian Defence Forces, based out of Tapa Army Base. The unit is part of the Estonian Land Forces. It is tasked with supporting combat units with indirect fire during war-time.
The Tallinn offensive was a strategic offensive by the Red Army's 2nd Shock and 8th armies and the Baltic Fleet against the German Army Detachment Narwa and Estonian units in mainland Estonia on the Eastern Front of World War II on 17–26 September 1944. Its German counterpart was the abandonment of the Estonian territory in a retreat codenamed Operation Aster.
The 1st Infantry Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Estonian Land Forces. It is the primary military unit in Northern Estonia. The brigade headquarters is based at Tapa.
The Narva offensive was an operation conducted by the Soviet Leningrad Front. It was aimed at the conquest of the Narva Isthmus from the German army detachment "Narwa". At the time of the operation, Joseph Stalin, the supreme commander of the Soviet Armed Forces, was personally interested in taking Estonia, viewing it as a precondition to forcing Finland out of the war.
The 1st Division was one of the three Estonian divisions created during the Estonian War of Independence, which was active until the Soviet occupation of Estonia.
Tapa Army Base, which lies to the south of the town Tapa, is the largest military base in Estonia. The base is next to the Central Training Area, excellent for artillery live-fire exercises and tracked unit maneuvers.
The Logistics Battalion is the main central unit of the Support Command of the Estonian Defence Forces which provides various logistical support. This battalion has a logistical role in the Estonian Defence Forces along with Combat Service Support Battalions of the Infantry Brigades of Estonian Land Forces.
The Kalev Infantry Battalion is an infantry battalion of the Estonian Land Forces. It is a part of the 1st Infantry Brigade and its primary task is to train conscription-based mechanized infantry units. The battalion has been previously known as the Kalevlaste Maleva and as the Kalev Single Infantry Battalion. The battalion is currently based at Jõhvi.
The 2nd Infantry Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Estonian Land Forces. It is the primary military unit in Southern Estonia. The brigade headquarters is currently based at Sirgu village, Luunja Parish, Tartu County. The brigade is tasked with planning and organizing military operations, planning and organizing mobilization, ensuring the readiness and support of its subordinate units, preparing wartime reserve units and their formation, organizing the training and participation in international military operations.
The following lists German active and reserve units within the structure of the German Army. Reserve units do not possess any heavy equipment and their personnel is intended as replacements for losses sustained by regular units.
25th Artillery Battalion of the 2nd Infantry Brigade is a reserve artillery battalion of the Estonian Land Forces. During peacetime, the unit is tasked with preparing reserve personnel through training exercises. During wartime, the unit is tasked with providing indirect fire support for combat units.
Veiko-Vello Palm is an Estonian Major General of the Estonian Defence Forces. He commanded the Estonian Division from 2023 until his retirement in 2024.
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