The Estonian Center for Defense Investments (ECDI) is moving forward with talks over price quotes for new naval ships with four companies from Estonia, Sweden and South Korea.
Making the ECDI’s shortlist are Estonia’s Baltic Workboats, Sweden’s SAAB and South Korea’s Hanwha and Hyundai.
A decade ago, the Baltics’ navies agreed on a joint Baltic Naval Vision 2030, but the plan never fully materialized, and Estonia’s Navy has taken on new peacetime duties.
Baltic Workboats (BWB) project manager and former Estonian Navy commander Jüri Saska said those tasks include maritime situational awareness and pollution response. Estonia would still, however, maintain mine countermeasures capability.
Saska said the Navy’s requirements are reflected in the conditions for bidders. “In the future, mine countermeasures capability should shift to either unmanned, semi-manned or modular systems,” he said. He added that maritime surveillance, police-type duties and underwater infrastructure protection — which has relatively recently been “highly topical and critical” — are priorities.
The ECDI initially sent a request for information to 13 companies in Europe, Turkey and South Korea. A more detailed inquiry will now go to the four shortlisted firms.
Two ship types are planned. “A large open-water vessel of about 100 meters and a coastal ship in the 60–80 meter range,” said Marek Mardo, the ECDI’s strategic category manager for air, sea and combat vehicles. Europe is the most expensive region for shipbuilding, with costs up to 30 percent higher depending on the builder, he added.
Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said Estonia wants most of the work done domestically, though weapons and some communications systems will come from abroad.
“In the ten-year national defense development plan, we’re requesting a price for two larger and two smaller ships,” Pevkur said, noting that they’re also adding a 15-year outlook for three larger and six smaller vessels as well.
Saska said Estonia’s shipbuilders can handle the heavy-industry work. “In Estonia, we pretty much have two larger shipbuilders — BLRT and BWB,” he said, noting the companies complement rather than compete with one another.
Foreign partners will install military systems on the new naval vessels. Baltic Workboats has already started talks with international partners as well.
—