The United Kingdom will deploy an extra 400 troops to Estonia from next year under a new defence agreement with the Baltic nation.
The move is intended to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank, and will see the number of British troops in the country rise from 800 to 1,200 from April.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said: “We are strengthening our deployment in Estonia to defend NATO territory and deter Russian aggression.”
The agreement, signed by Jarvis and his Estonian counterpart Hanno Pevkur in Tallinn on Thursday, will see British forces in Estonia transition from an armoured battlegroup to a more manoeuvrable mobile anti-armour force (MAAF).
It will be equipped with more mobile vehicles, advanced weapons and high-tech drones designed specifically to operate in Estonia.
Jarvis said the agreement “reflects the realities of warfare today and shows how we are modernizing our forces to meet the threats we face.”
As well as greater mobility and new technology, the new force will benefit from UK equipment and ammunition that is already being moved into position in Estonia.
Pevkur said the pre-positioning of supplies would allow British troops to respond “significantly faster in a crisis situation.”
The two countries have also agreed to co-operate more closely on new military technologies.
British troops have been deployed to Estonia under Operation Cabrit since 2016 as part of the UK’s commitment to NATO.