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Estonian Navy
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Estonian Navy
The Estonian Navy (Estonian: Eesti merevägi) are the unified naval forces among the Estonian Defence Forces.
With only seven commissioned ships and displacement well under 10,000 tonnes (3,633.5 tonnes as of February 2026), the Estonian Navy is one of the smallest navies in the world. Its ship prefix is EML (Estonian: Eesti Mereväe Laev, literally "Estonian Navy Ship"). The Estonian Navy has participated numerous times in NATO's naval joint-exercises.
The Merevägi was founded on November 21, 1918. The foundation and development of the Estonian Navy relied greatly on the Royal Navy which operated in the Gulf of Finland as an ally to Estonia during the Estonian War of Independence. The first Estonian Navy warships were the destroyers Lennuk and Wambola and were gifts from the UK's Royal Navy after they had been captured from the Russian Baltic Fleet in 1919. [citation needed]
The Meredessantpataljon was a short-lived (formed and disbanded during 1919) marine infantry - Naval landing battalion of the Estonian Defence Forces subject to the Estonian Navy. The battalion was created from the crews of the Estonian surface warships and was based in Tallinn.[citation needed]
Since the end of the 19th century, the Russian Empire began to build coastal fortresses and naval strongholds in Estonia which was annexed to the empire after the Great Northern War in 1721. Tallinn, having been historically an important trading center between the East and the West, became one of the main naval bases of the Imperial Russian Baltic Fleet. A systematic coastal defence network and naval gun installations were ordered, and the construction works began at the end of the 1890s.[citation needed]
During the Estonian War of Independence and after the Treaty of Tartu the Estonian Navy began to rebuild and develop the coastal defence network. From 1918 to 1940 Estonia invested millions of kroons into the renovation and development of coastal defences. By 1939 the coastal batteries presented a considerable naval force and were considered among the Estonian Navy elite forces. After World War II and later the Soviet occupation of Estonia, little has remained of the former coastal defence lines and fortifications. Today some buildings and firing positions can be seen at various places of which the best-preserved ones are located on the island of Aegna.[citation needed]
In 1998 the Baltic Naval Squadron BALTRON was inaugurated. The main responsibility of BALTRON is to improve the co-operation between the Baltic States in the areas of naval defence and security. Constant readiness to contribute units to NATO-led operations is assured through BALTRON.
Each Baltic state appoints one or two ships to BALTRON for certain periods and staff members for one year. Service in BALTRON provides both, the crews and staff officers, with an excellent opportunity to serve in an international environment and acquire valuable experience in mine countermeasures. Estonia provides BALTRON with on-shore facilities for the staff.
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Estonian Navy
The Estonian Navy (Estonian: Eesti merevägi) are the unified naval forces among the Estonian Defence Forces.
With only seven commissioned ships and displacement well under 10,000 tonnes (3,633.5 tonnes as of February 2026), the Estonian Navy is one of the smallest navies in the world. Its ship prefix is EML (Estonian: Eesti Mereväe Laev, literally "Estonian Navy Ship"). The Estonian Navy has participated numerous times in NATO's naval joint-exercises.
The Merevägi was founded on November 21, 1918. The foundation and development of the Estonian Navy relied greatly on the Royal Navy which operated in the Gulf of Finland as an ally to Estonia during the Estonian War of Independence. The first Estonian Navy warships were the destroyers Lennuk and Wambola and were gifts from the UK's Royal Navy after they had been captured from the Russian Baltic Fleet in 1919. [citation needed]
The Meredessantpataljon was a short-lived (formed and disbanded during 1919) marine infantry - Naval landing battalion of the Estonian Defence Forces subject to the Estonian Navy. The battalion was created from the crews of the Estonian surface warships and was based in Tallinn.[citation needed]
Since the end of the 19th century, the Russian Empire began to build coastal fortresses and naval strongholds in Estonia which was annexed to the empire after the Great Northern War in 1721. Tallinn, having been historically an important trading center between the East and the West, became one of the main naval bases of the Imperial Russian Baltic Fleet. A systematic coastal defence network and naval gun installations were ordered, and the construction works began at the end of the 1890s.[citation needed]
During the Estonian War of Independence and after the Treaty of Tartu the Estonian Navy began to rebuild and develop the coastal defence network. From 1918 to 1940 Estonia invested millions of kroons into the renovation and development of coastal defences. By 1939 the coastal batteries presented a considerable naval force and were considered among the Estonian Navy elite forces. After World War II and later the Soviet occupation of Estonia, little has remained of the former coastal defence lines and fortifications. Today some buildings and firing positions can be seen at various places of which the best-preserved ones are located on the island of Aegna.[citation needed]
In 1998 the Baltic Naval Squadron BALTRON was inaugurated. The main responsibility of BALTRON is to improve the co-operation between the Baltic States in the areas of naval defence and security. Constant readiness to contribute units to NATO-led operations is assured through BALTRON.
Each Baltic state appoints one or two ships to BALTRON for certain periods and staff members for one year. Service in BALTRON provides both, the crews and staff officers, with an excellent opportunity to serve in an international environment and acquire valuable experience in mine countermeasures. Estonia provides BALTRON with on-shore facilities for the staff.
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