Estonian Reservists who participated in the mission of the Divisional Artillery Battalion fired their M142 HIMARS missile launchers for the first time.
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Press Release, Tallinn, 11 July 2025: [auto-translated] Today, 11 July, Reservists who participated in the mission of the division’s artillery battalion launched HIMARS from their missile launchers for the first time. The battle drill was the culmination of a study gathering in the Saaremaa and Muhu districts on July 4.
HIMARS is now part of our defence. The training began even before the systems arrived in Estonia in cooperation with units from the United States. Today, we have a trained missile artillery battery that continues to practice the defence of Estonia consistently. We have both a team with long experience and a top technical team, and now we have reached a level where we can organise both training and shooting exercises independently. We will continue to grow and develop the rocket artillery, said Margus Ora, a battery-operated columnist for the division’s artillery battalion.
The battle exercise on the Undva Peninsula with the M142 HIMARS missile launcher, which was only recently added to the armed forces, was conducted with the participation of reserve soldiers trained to operate the weapons system, having previously undergone training for the use of the weapons system. The purpose of the gathering was to increase the unit’s combat readiness, develop interoperability and entrench the knowledge and skills of the soldiers in using weapons systems; during the nine-day and final training session, the Reservists added to their knowledge of weapons and brushed up practical skills in handling weapons while practising acting as a weapons team.
The deployment of HIMARS for the Estonian Defence Force is an important milestone in the development of the division’s rocket artillery battery and the strengthening of Estonia’s defence capabilities. M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) missile launchers are considered one of the most modern long-range indirect fire systems in the world. Their introduction in the Estonian Defence Forces represents a significant increase in force in both capacity and in terms of defence.
The artillery battalion is a centre of indirect fire skills and knowledge in the armed forces. The battalion provides professional further education for servicemen and active personnel from across the armed forces. The main task of the artillery battalion in wartime is to support division units with indirect fire.
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