Baltic republics team up to buy support vehicles
Volvo supplied the Estonian military with container trucks in 2020. (Photo: EDF/Ardi Hallismaa)
Estonia and Latvia are investing almost $800 million over a ten-year period in new logistics, cargo and engineering vehicles.
With most of the utility and logistics vehicles in service with the Estonian Defence Forces set to reach the end of their service life in 2028-2035, the Estonian Centre for Defence Investment (ECDI) and the Latvian MoD are cooperating on the joint procurement of new platforms for their respective militaries.
In a 7 February statement, ECDI estimated the cost of the two-phase public procurement at €693 million ($791.81 million) over a ten-year period.
‘We intend to find a partner who would supply the defence forces of both countries with vehicles of 16 different types over the next ten years,’ said Toomas Kalda, ECDI vehicle category manager. ‘This generational shift will include both used vehicles obtained from our nearest allies and completely new vehicles, depending on usage intensity and financial benefits.’
In the first phase of the programme, Estonia and Latvia intend to buy vehicles with a load capacity of less than 5,000kg, followed by the procurement of heavier-capacity vehicles in the second phase.
Additionally, the framework agreement will enable mobile cranes, recovery vehicles and special airfield machinery vehicles to be bought, as well as variants with add-on armour.
Latvia in 2020 completed the procurement of 120 Unimog cargo vehicles with a load capacity of 5,000-15,000kg, while Lithuania ordered 340 refurbished (ex-German military) Unimog U5000 trucks in 2015 for €70 million with deliveries from 2016 to 2020.
You may also like
More from Land Warfare
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Vegvisir sets connectivity in contested environments in its sights]()
Eurosatory 2026: Vegvisir sets connectivity in contested environments in its sights
Maintaining connectivity in contested environments, where essential networks can easily be disrupted by enemy forces, has emerged as a key challenge in modern warfare. Estonian company Vegvisir aims to tackle that problem with a new Communications Module unveiled at Eurosatory.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: AM General highlights UGV and JLTV A2]()
Eurosatory 2026: AM General highlights UGV and JLTV A2
AM General is showcasing its autonomous ground vehicle and latest light tactical vehicle at Eurosatory 2026, highlighting counter-drone capabilities, modular mission systems and improvements in battlefield mobility.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Arclin and BSST unveil lighter EOD suit as bomb disposal market burgeons]()
Eurosatory 2026: Arclin and BSST unveil lighter EOD suit as bomb disposal market burgeons
Arclin and BSST have developed a lighter explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) suit using Kevlar EXO technology to improve operator mobility while maintaining protection against fragmentation threats.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Updated S-KAPS ready to neutralise drone threat]()
Eurosatory 2026: Updated S-KAPS ready to neutralise drone threat
Launched at EuroSatory 2026, the revamped Soft-Kill Advanced Protection System (S-KAPS) counter-UAS package has been developed by three French SMEs, Lacroix, Bertin Technologies and MC2 Technologies as a private venture.
-
![Patria TRACKX: Designed to conquer the most challenging environments]()
Patria TRACKX: Designed to conquer the most challenging environments
The tracked all-terrain armoured vehicle Patria TRACKX is a promise of performance. It is engineered to navigate the toughest terrain silently and swiftly, ensuring smooth operations in any conditions.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: BAE Systems’ new digital fires system to be ready for demonstration this year]()
Eurosatory 2026: BAE Systems’ new digital fires system to be ready for demonstration this year
BAE Systems is presenting its Next Generation Indirect Fire Control System at Eurosatory 2026. It is designed to connect large calibre guns with wider sensor and effector networks to provide targeting information more quickly.
