European Union and NATO members Estonia and Latvia will begin negotiations with Germany's Diehl Defence for the purchase of a medium-range air defense system, Estonia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
The cost of the Iris-T SLM air defense system and additional capabilities such as infrastructure, personnel, training, equipment, will be determined at the negotiations, which could be concluded during the summer, it added.
“Our objective is to ensure operational medium-range air defense capabilities for Estonia by 2025, which means that the first systems should arrive in 2024,” Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.
The purchase will be led by Estonia Centre for Defence Investment.