The United Kingdom’s tank-led armoured battlegroup in Estonia is to be replaced by a new Mobile Anti-Armour Force from April 2027, under a defence roadmap signed in Tallinn that will see British troop numbers on NATO’s eastern flank rise from around 800 to 1,200, the UK Defence Journal understands.
The transition, agreed between Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis and his Estonian counterpart Hanno Pevkur, marks the end of the armoured construct that has anchored the UK’s Forward Land Forces presence since British troops first deployed to Estonia almost a decade ago, a formation built around Challenger 2 main battle tanks and Warrior infantry fighting vehicles. In its place comes a force equipped with highly mobile vehicles, advanced weapons and drones, designed specifically for Estonia’s operational environment and integrated within the British Army’s recce-strike concept, which the Ministry of Defence says will be able to deploy, disperse and demonstrate combat readiness more rapidly than a traditional armoured formation.
The decision rests on extensive analysis, say the MoD, including comprehensive wargaming with Estonia, which the MoD also says showed the new force design would deliver greater operational effect than the current armoured presence, drawing on the lessons of a war in Ukraine in which massed armour has proven acutely vulnerable to surveillance and precision strike. The new force is intended to bring greater mobility, enhanced survivability through dispersal and deception, greater endurance supported by equipment stocks positioned forward in Estonia, and increased lethality through integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, networked command and control, precision fires and expanded uncrewed systems.
“We are strengthening our deployment in Estonia to defend NATO territory and deter Russian aggression. This new roadmap reflects the realities of warfare today and shows how we are modernising our forces to meet the threats we face,” Jarvis said, as quoted in the announcement. “More people, better mobility, and the latest tech means a more lethal and effective force, ready to fight and win alongside allies.”
Pevkur said nearly 1,200 British soldiers will arrive in Estonia next year “equipped with modern weaponry that is well suited to the local environment,” while an entire British Army brigade in the UK remains at constant readiness to reinforce the country if needed. “Already this year, the United Kingdom will begin pre-positioning equipment and ammunition stocks in Estonia for our reinforcement brigade, enabling the unit to respond significantly faster in a crisis situation,” he said, as quoted in the announcement, adding that the additional troops reinforce “the United Kingdom’s long-term commitment to our shared security.”
The roadmap reaches beyond the force redesign, committing the UK to upgrade its Multiple Launch Rocket System equipment in theatre to be more precise and more lethal, to maintain short range air defence capabilities, and to continue modernising the force through future rotations as new technologies mature.
The two countries will also deepen collaboration on ASGARD, the UK’s battlefield digitisation and targeting programme, which brings together artificial intelligence, digital targeting and advanced command and control to deliver combat effects faster, and the agreement reinforces cooperation through the Joint Expeditionary Force alongside northern European allies.
Given the choice of being defended by armour or drones it appears that Estonia are putting their freedom and faith in drones.
Many here believe, I’m sure, that the decision to head in the direction of drones is based on cost.
I vote we order them in all shapes and sizes in the millions and keep the armour just in case. 🙂
I think based on the real world evidence that Ukraine has halted Russias ability to invade its country. The same Russia with vastly larger Armed Forces, and a defence budget 4 times that of Ukraine. Due, In large to drone warfare. And a big chunk of the Black Sea fleet sat on the sea floor due to drones. Cheap drones defeating large complex assets. Same in Iran. Israel and the US achieved air superiority in a few days. Yet the US is struggling for a way out because Iran is still launching drones and missiles and has held the US to political ransom over the straight of Hormuz.
Should it be one or the other though ? Surely they complement each other and would significantly increase lethality if deployed together.
Or another view us the Estonians are putting a brave face on it since we seem to be taking away our expensive stuff, in terms of usage and maintenance, and replacing it with a bunch of cheap stuff.
I would agree with Robert.. it’s based on the fact that Ukraine has shattered endless Russian formations using drones and that the drone battlefield requires light mobile troops with lots of recce and protection against drones.. the tank is not really a defensive asset and it’s now know that offensive manovering combined arms needs massive levels capability in the near surface battlespace before you can throw it forward…
Essentially the British army does not want to lose its core heavy manoeuvre group in a drone saturated environment it could not survive in…
In the end the British armies core role in NATO is to form the backbone of the ARRC with a heavy and light division.. then when its ready undertake a counter offensive.
I agree with Robert on this. We need to 1. Adapt to the lessons in Ukraine 2. Be seen to be a potent force drone equipped to destroy. C2 and Warrior force wouldn’t last long against a mass of drones sent in by Russia. The battlespace has changed. Russia will think twice knowing they face a professional drone equipped force.
So with starmer in the Ukraine today does this mean he’ll give them our Challenge 2s while we make do with drones in Estonia ? We all know what a bad deal maker he is 🙄
No, because Ukraine does not need them. Why? Precisely the reason that Ukraine has learnt that heavy armour is vulnerable and Precisely why we are taking the lessons of Ukraine. It even seems the Russians are learning that massed armour is vulnerable.
To be honest this is probably a good call, especially now the British army’s big role in any NATO Russia war is to form the ARRC and punch Russia in the face back.
If I recall at the start of the war, the Ukrainians stopped the Russians the old fashioned way. With Tanks, Artillery and a flood of ATGMs. I think that should not be forgotten. It was after that the drones really came into their own.
The problem is they also attacked with armour, artillery and missiles. Now they attack with drones we need to defend in kind.
Could we recycle Ten Billion £££’s of useless PPE and turn It Into Drones ?
Just a thought.
(In my defence, I do have these little moments sometimes….)