Estonian military launches HIMARS missiles from the Saaremaa coast for the initial time on record.
In a significant milestone for Estonia's military, its troops successfully executed the country's first live-fire test with HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) rockets off the coast of Saaremaa island on a day subsequent to Friday. The event, which took place after months of rigorous training, marks the official integration of Estonia into the ranks of nations with precision long-range rocket capabilities.
The journey towards this moment began in early 2025 when Estonia received six HIMARS units from the United States as part of NATO's efforts to bolster the eastern flank amid rising regional security concerns caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Following their arrival in spring 2025, Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) embarked on an intensive four-month training period to retrain artillery personnel as rocket forces. This transition was supported significantly by the U.S. Task Force Voit, which provided expertise in maintenance, operations, and live-fire exercises.
The training included both active-duty forces and reservists, with the "HIMARS Academy" programs for launcher crews and maintenance teams facilitating the process. Lt. Col. Rauno Viitmann, one of the commanders involved, described the transition as manageable given the existing artillery basics among troops, emphasizing that adapting to the new system was primarily a matter of retraining on the new hardware.
On July 11, 2025, Estonian reservists handled the equipment and initial challenges without external assistance during the live-fire test. The rockets, each capable of hitting a bucket-sized target up to 15 kilometers out at sea, were fired from the Saaremaa coast over the Baltic Sea. The shots, precise with a top-tier weapon, successfully hit their targets within a minute, demonstrating the confidence and skill developed during the months of preparation. Lt. Col. Viitmann gave the training exercise a solid score, underscoring the effectiveness of the training program.
This historic event confirms that Estonia now possesses not only traditional artillery but also its own rocket forces capable of precision long-range strikes. The strategic significance of this development lies in the extension of Estonia’s defensive and deterrence capabilities, with a maximum range far exceeding the initial 15 km test shots—potentially over 300 km—enabling strikes into strategic regions, including parts of Russia’s Leningrad Oblast.
The acquisition of HIMARS aligns with similar procurements by Baltic neighbors Lithuania and Latvia, collectively strengthening NATO’s eastern defenses and demonstrating a regional commitment to counter potential aggression. However, the move has drawn criticism from Russia, which condemned the drills as provocative, emphasizing the heightened tensions in the Baltic region stemming from increased military preparedness by NATO states.
In conclusion, Estonia's HIMARS rocket forces history is marked by a rapid but well-supported transition from artillery to precision rocket capabilities, culminating in a successful initial live-fire test after four months of training in mid-2025. This development significantly enhances Estonia’s military deterrence profile within the Baltic region and NATO.
In light of the successful live-fire test with HIMARS rockets, Estonia's sports in the realm of defense have taken a significant stride, marking their official entry into nations with precision long-range rocket capabilities. This achievement, following a transformative four-month training period, demonstrates the effectiveness of the "HIMARS Academy" programs and the cooperative support from US Task Force Voit.
