In response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NATO countries have taken important collective steps to secure their eastern flank. The countries of the Alliance have developed new regional defence plans, which Estonia must be ready to implement by receiving additional Allied units. At present, the United Kingdom has pledged to deploy a light brigade in high readiness to Estonia, if necessary, to support the implementation of regional defence plans and to strengthen deterrence. Estonia, for its part, must be ready to receive the Allied light brigade without obstacles and support the incoming Allies in achieving combat readiness. The audit of the National Audit Office focused on the reception of additional Allied forces in peacetime, where the country is in a state of general defence readiness.
There are machines for transporting people and equipment to receive a light brigade, which may consist of up to 5,000 people. The Defence Forces have planned areas for the brigade’s staging, training and preparation for combat, but it is possible to be sure of the deployment, training arrangements and logistical agreements only if they are practiced. The peacetime staging of a brigade-sized unit has not yet been practised. The Ministry of Defence plans to organise such an exercise in 2025.
However, should the need arise for the more complex task of receiving a heavy equipment brigade, the National Audit Office believes that those involved need to be sure that we have enough trailers to receive a heavy equipment brigade within the timeframe prescribed by the NATO standard. More thought should be given to how the smooth flow of traffic can be ensured when equipment is moved in the country. The Defence Forces have no plans to transport heavy equipment by rail.
Cooperation between different authorities must be significantly improved and agreements must be made so that there is a clear responsibility for the supply of liquid fuel to Allied units. According to the Liquid Fuel Stocks Act, the liquid fuel stocks managed by Estonian Stockpiling Agency cannot be used to cover the state’s military needs. In peacetime situations, where the presence of Allied forces requires additional quantities of liquid fuel, fuel must also be available to Estonian people, providers of vital services and internal security and law enforcement agencies without restrictions at the same time.
Until 2024, the Ministry of Defence has not been consistent in its guidance to other ministries and in describing the needs and planning the reception of an additional Allied military unit, and ministries have not taken the initiative in their areas of responsibility. This was because the Ministry of Defence had, due to the increasingly tense international security situation, placed emphasis on improving the capability of the Defence Forces to receive Allies, although the smooth organisation of the reception of allies depends on a much larger number of institutions and more factors than the Ministry of Defence has focused on so far.
The National Audit Office notes that the intensity of the broader preparatory work in the state has therefore been low in the meantime – comprehensive national defence exercises for a large-scale and rapid reception of Allied forces were not organised in 2022 and 2023, and the steering committee, which is responsible for coordinating the cooperation of areas of government in the reception of Allies, did not meet. As other ministries were also burdened with solving their own specific problems, not enough attention was given in the meantime to improving the conditions for the reception of Allies.
In 2024, significant steps were taken under the leadership of the Ministry of Defence to prepare for the reception of Allies on a larger scale. In the first half of 2024, the planning of exercises and the work of the Host Nation Support Steering Committee have resumed, focusing on the reception of the UK brigade promised to Estonia for defence: reception has been practised with other ministries and agencies in a tabletop exercise, the Host Nation Support Steering Committee is planning how to host a British light brigade as part of a field exercise to be held in 2025, new agreements have increased the number of special purpose trailers available and staging areas of the Defence Forces have been built. These plans had not yet fully materialised by the time of the audit and the results of these activities will become clear in time.
The National Audit Office recommends that the Ministry of Defence should guide and advise other ministries and areas of government more actively in the preparation of host nation support. In addition, the National Audit Office recommends that the Ministry of Defence, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Climate, develop a clear solution on how the Allies will be supplied with liquid fuel, as well as analyse how to ensure the smooth and well-planned movement of the Allies’ heavy equipment.
Background
The National Audit Office only publishes a summary of the audit report “Readiness of the Estonian state to receive Allied units in peacetime”, the full text of the report as material containing national defence information will be for internal use only.
The National Audit Office audited the performance of the tasks in the areas of government of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Climate, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications that have a significant impact on the reception of Allies. The National Audit Office highlighted the circumstances that slow down the reception of Allies and impose limitations on hosting Allies.
The audit focused on the reception of additional Allied forces in peacetime, where the country is in a state of general defence readiness, taking also into account the possible impact of increased defence readiness.
The current practice of Estonia in the reception of Allies, as well as the approved and effective legislation and plans and the NATO documents that address host nation support were considered when assessing the readiness of the Estonian state to receive Allied units in peacetime.
The audit work was completed on 31 May 2024, but the significant changes that took place later in 2024 were also considered when the audit report was prepared.
