The US State Department has approved the sale of Javelin anti-tank missile systems to Estonia, Estonian public radio ERR reports, quoted by News.bg.
The value of the deal is estimated at $296 million, and the American partner is Javelin Joint Venture - a consortium consisting of RTX Corp and Lockheed Martin.
The Javelin systems are designed primarily to destroy armored vehicles and tanks, with an effective range of between 2 and 2.5 kilometers. Estonia began using these weapons in 2015, and in early 2022 sent a significant number of them to Ukraine, shortly before the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. This act of military support is considered a significant contribution to the defense of Kiev.
In 2023, in response to Tallinn's active support for Ukraine, Russia expelled the Estonian ambassador and downgraded diplomatic relations with the Baltic country. Estonia responded with reciprocal actions.
Earlier this year, Bulgaria also approved the purchase of the “Javelin“ missile systems, strengthening regional military cooperation within NATO.