Arms manufacturers in Australia are calling on the country's government to do more to develop the defense complex and predict a major war is imminent, probably within the next few years.
Points of attention
- Arms manufacturers in Australia call on the government to intensify preparations for a major war and increase spending on developing the defence industry.
- Estonia and other NATO countries are investigating possible Russian aggressive actions and intensifying measures to increase their troops' readiness.
- Russia plans to deploy a significant number of troops near the border with Estonia, which threatens the security of the region.
- Massive development of military infrastructure and flexible response to threats is important for preparing countries for possible conflicts.
- Estonia cooperates with partners to strengthen defence capabilities and protect against hybrid attacks.
Arms manufacturers in Australia urge to prepare for a major war
According to Lockheed Martin Australia's Missile and Fire Management Program Director, Strategic Capabilities Office, James Heading, further development of the country's military industry is vital.
He emphasized that producing GMLRS projectiles for HIMARS would be a good start.
According to him, the demand from other countries in the world for this ammunition is growing, especially against the background of the criminal war launched by Russia against Ukraine.
It must be admitted that we may have two, perhaps three years to prepare for a major war. So what can we do in the next two to three years in terms of mass production capabilities? "My concern is that these decisions will not be made and we will end up going to the next war in 2027 or 2028 with what we have, which is not much," Heading said.
Are the EU countries ready to repulse possible aggression from Russia?
According to Business Insider journalists, in the event of an attack by Russia, the Estonian army could resist for only two weeks until reinforcements from other NATO countries arrived.
Estonia's population is only 1.4 million, but the country plans to increase defence spending to more than 3% of GDP this year.
It is much more than the contributions of most NATO countries.
As a percentage of GDP, Estonia also provided more military aid to Ukraine than any other country.
The publication notes that American, British and French military personnel are often present at Estonia training bases, demonstrating NATO's attitude to existing threats.
According to Estonian army colonel Mati Tikerpuu, the threat of an attack from Russia cannot be ruled out, and preparations are being made.
The war in Ukraine gave Estonia some experience that helped it prepare its forces.
Tikerpuu emphasized that drones and artillery will play a central role in any conflict.
The Estonian military officer noted that the criminal army of the Russian Federation still prefers massive "meat assaults" instead of using high-precision weapons.
However, the capabilities of the Estonian military remain pretty limited.
The army has no main battle tanks, and the only active military air base near Tallinn has no combat aircraft.
According to a recent Estonian intelligence report, Russia plans to deploy nearly 40,000 troops near the border in the coming years.
This figure far exceeds the strength of Estonia's armed forces, which number 4,200 servicemen. However, the country has just under 40,000 trained reservists as a result of the conscription policy.
In March, the US approved a $228 million defence aid package for Estonia and its neighbours Lithuania and Latvia. The package aims to accelerate the development of military infrastructure.
In February, the countries agreed to build a new line of bunker defences along their shared border with Russia. In addition, reserve forces are ready to deploy additional defences, such as mines and anti-tank pyramids, "dragon's teeth", at a moment's notice.
Estonia is also part of a coalition of six countries that are building a "drone wall" to protect their borders. At the same time, the countries warned about the approach of Russian hybrid attacks.
