Estonian Air Force

Estonian Air Force Eesti Õhuvägi
The coat of arms and the identification flag
Founded	1918
Country	Estonia
Size	250 (+400) personnel 2 aircraft 4 helicopters 1 UAV
Part of	Estonian Defence Forces
Command HQ	Tallinn Õhuväe Staap Ämari Lennubaas
March	"Lennuväepoiste laul"
Anniversaries	21 November 1918 16 December 1991
Engagements	Estonian War of Independence
Battle honours	1st Class Service Cross 2nd Class Service Cross 3rd Class Service Cross
Commanders
Commander of the Estonian Air Force	Colonel Jaak Tarien
Insignia
Roundel
Battle flag
Aircraft flown
Helicopter	Robinson R44
Transport	C-17 GM III (part of NATO SAC)

The Estonian Air Force (Estonian language: Eesti Õhuvägi ,  listen ) is the name of the unified aviation forces of Estonia. The Õhuvägi is the main arm of the Estonian aviation forces. The average size of the military formation in peacetime is about 210 men. The Estonian Air Force is tasked with dealing with political, military, economical, social, environmental and psychological threats. The Air Force has an important role in enhancing flight safety in Estonian airspace.

History

World War I and after

File:ESTFtr2.jpg

Estonian B.E.2 in the Estonian War of Liberation

The roots of the current organization go back to the Russian revolution of February 1917, after which the Estonian state obtained a degree of autonomy within Russia, which included the establishment of national armed forces. Thus many Estonians in the Russian Army returned home to take up arms for their homeland. The Estonian Declaration of Independence in early 1918 was not recognized by Germany, which invaded and occupied the country during 1918. The Estonian armed forces were disbanded.

After the armistice on 11 November 1918, the Estonian Provisional Government immediately set about establishing a military aviation unit. On 21 November 1918 Voldemar Victor Riiberg, the Commander of the Engineering Battalion, assigned August Roos to organize a flight unit. The Aviation Company of the Engineer Battalion began to establish air bases near Tallinn for seaplanes and land planes, but it was not until January 1919 that the first operational aircraft was acquired - a captured Soviet Farman HF.30.

In the meantime, on 22 November 1918, the Soviet Red Army had attacked Estonia and soon occupied most of the country. The fledgling Estonian Army, with foreign assistance, managed to counter-attack in early January 1919 and went on to liberate the country by late February. It subsequently moved on to liberate Latvia. Aviation Company aircraft flew a limited number of missions in support of the army. Following the February 1920 peace treaty with the Soviet Russia, the Estonian Army was demobilized, but the Aviation Company was retained. With the delivery of more aircraft it was reorganized as an Aviation Regiment (Lennuväe rügement), comprising a landplane squadron, seaplane squadron, flying school and workshops. More bases and seaplane stations were built.

File:ESTFtrs.jpg

French GL.2 fighters in the Estonian Air Force

File:Avro-Anson.jpg

An Estonian Avro Anson in the late 1930s

Some Aviation Regiment pilots were involved in a pro-Soviet coup attempt on 1 December 1924, but this was crushed within hours. From 1925 the First World War era aircraft were gradually replaced by more modern types. During 1928 the Aviation Regiment came under the control of an Air Defence (Õhukaitse) organization which included the Anti-Aircraft Artillery.

In 1939 the Estonian Air force consisted of about 80 active airplanes (Bristol Bulldog, Hawker Hart and Potez 25 biplanes from the 1920s, but also the more modern Avro Anson multipurpose aircraft and Vickers Wellesley bombers) in three groups stationed at Rakvere, Tartu, and Tallinn. The Navy also maintained two multipurpose aircraft wings.

World War II and after

Plans to acquire Spitfires and Lysanders from Britain were thwarted when the outbreak of World War II in 1939 forced Britain to cancel all export orders. After the defeat of Poland, Estonia was forced to accept a Mutual Assistance Pact with the Soviet Union, signed on 28 September 1939. This allowed the Russians to establish military bases in Estonia, which were later used in the Winter War against Finland. On 17 June 1940 the three Baltic States were invaded by Soviet forces. Bogus soviet-style elections were organised and the resulting communist parliament applied for membership of the Soviet Union. This was granted on 6 August 1940. During the June 1940 invasion the Air Defence took no action and subsequently aircraft remained locked in their hangars. The air force became the Aircraft Squadron of the 22nd Territorial Corps of the Soviet Army in the summer of 1940.

On 22 June 1941 Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union. The speed of the advance was such that Estonia was soon cut-off from Russia by German forces. The 22nd Territorial Corps was ordered to evacuate to Russia, but many Estonian personnel deserted and joined the guerrilla forces fighting the retreating Red Army. The Germans were welcomed as liberators when they arrived.

During the subsequent Soviet presence, Estonia became heavily militarized, with some 10% of the population being Soviet troops based at over 500 military installations.

Current state

The Estonian Air Force was re-established at 16 December 1991 after the restoration of independence of the Republic of Estonia in 1991. The Air Force was slow to reform because the Soviets had damaged or destroyed most of their infrastructure before leaving.^{[citation needed]} The Eesti Õhuvägi (Estonian Air Force) was formed on 13 April 1994. In February 1993 the German government donated two Let L-410UVPs transport aircraft. In October 1994 three Mi-2 helicopters were delivered, followed by four Mi-8s in November 1995. Initially tasked with ground based air surveillance and air defence using only old Soviet radars and AAA equipment, on 15 May 1997 the Air Force moved into the former Soviet Su-24 base at Ämari, south of Tallinn. In 1997-98 two of the Mi-8's were upgraded.

The Õhuvägi has been rebuilding the destroyed military infrastructure left behind by the Russian Army. Most of the funds have been directed to the Ämari military airfield which will be completed around 2010. The objective of developing Ämari Air Base is to cooperate with NATO and partner nations air forces and being able to supply standardized airfield and aircraft services necessary for Host Nation Support. Due to the lack of modern and developed military aviation infrastructure, the Air Force development has been very slow.

Organization

One of the main goals of the Air Force is to build up an air surveillance system, which will be the cornerstone of the air traffic safety and airspace control. The second priority is the development of the Host Nation Support capabilities for air operations with further implementation of crucial peacetime Air Defence capability - Air Policing. One important milestone will be the development of the air surveillance system to the level, which allows close cooperation with the NATO air defence system. The purpose of Ämari Air Base is to work together with NATO and partner nations air forces and provide the standardized airfield and aircraft services to provide the Host Nation Services.

Ranks and insignia

Main article: Estonian military ranks and insignia

	Generals				Senior officers			Junior officers
Estonian language: Auastmed	Kindral	Kindralleitnant	Kindralmajor	Brigaadikindral	Kolonel	Kolonelleitnant	Major	Kapten	Leitnant	Nooremleitnant	Lipnik
English: Ranks	General	Lieutenant General	Major General	Brigadier General	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Junior Lieutenant	Ensign

	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs			Soldiers
Estonian language: Auastmed	Ülemveebel	Staabiveebel	Vanemveebel	Veebel	Nooremveebel	Vanemseersant	Seersant	Nooremseersant	Kapral	Reamees
English: Ranks	Chief Warrant Officer	Staff Warrant Officer	Senior Warrant Officer	Warrant Officer	Junior Warrant Officer	Senior Sergeant	Sergeant	Junior Sergeant	Corporal	Private

Structure and units

Structure of the Estonian Air Force.

Air Force Staff

The Air Force Staff is highest command of the Estonian Air Forces and represents the military concept-developing, command and executive structure providing Air Forces peacetime, crisis and wartime leadership in order to reach, maintain and increase, as required, the operational level of the military subordinated structures so that to be able to operate under authorized commands responsible for military operations planning and conduct.

Air Surveillance Wing

The Air Surveillance Division is the unit which develops the national air surveillance system to the level that allows to detect and identify all flying objects in Estonian airspace with maximal probability and transmit information about their location and movement with sufficient degree of accuracy on 24 hour basis. The main mission is to process and collect information from radio locational surveillance systems, interceptor fighters during their patrol flights and from other airspace surveillance sensors.

Air Bases and airfields

Although the Estonian Air Force inherited a large number of former Soviet Air Force airfields in 1991 during the restoration of independence, most of them were disbanded within the early 90s due to non-existing need for such airfields. The Estonian Air Force has one active main air base and occasionally uses a civilian airfield in Tallinn.

Ämari Air Base

• Utility helicopter team
• Light transport aircraft team

(Tallinn Air Base)

• Border Guard Aviation Corps

Aircraft and equipment

Estonian Air Force Aero L-39C in 2013.

Estonian Air Force Antonov An-2 in 2013.

Main articles: List of historic Estonian Air Force aircraft and PTO-4

The modern Estonian Air Force has been rebuilding the destroyed military infrastructure since 1994 when the last Russian Army units left Estonia. Most of the funds were directed to the Ämari military airfield which was completed in 2011. Due to the lack of modern and developed military aviation infrastructure the Estonian Air Force development has been very slow.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service	Notes
Robinson R44	United States	utility helicopter	R44	4
An-2	Soviet Union	light transport	An-2	2
RQ-11 Raven	United States	UAV	RQ-11B	1	Estonia bought 1 RQ-11B UAV from USA for missions in Afghanistan.
Aero L-39 Albatros	Czechoslovakia	Light ground-attack aircraft	Aero L-39	2

Radars

• LM AN/TPS-117 3-Dimensional air search radars [Currently 3 in use]
• VERA-E Passive radiolocators
• GIRAFFE Radar Mobile truck-mounted radar systems

Modernization

• Ground Master 403 medium-range air defense radars - planned
• Ämari Air Base reconstruction - completed

References

Bibliography

• Gerdessen, Frederik "Estonian Air Power 1918 - 1945". Air Enthusiast No 18, April - July 1982. Pages 61–76. ISSN 0143-5450.
• Humberstone, Richard. Estonian Air Force, 1918-1940 (Insignia Air Force Special No.3). London: Blue Rider Publishing, 1999.
• Gerdessen, Frederik; Kitvel, Toivo and Tilk, Johannes. "Aeg, mehed, lennukid" Tallinn: Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus 2001
• Kitvel, Toivo and Tilk, Johannes ""Eesti lennukroonika: tekste ja pilte aastani 1940" Tallinn: Aviopol 2003
• World aircraft information files Brightstar publishing file 329 sheet 9

External links

• The official webpage of the Estonian Air Force