Estonia conducted its first-ever HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) test firing on Saaremaa Island in the Baltic Sea on July 11, following four months of preparation, according to the Estonia’s Defence Forces (EDF).
The EDF said each rocket successfully struck a bucket-sized target 15 kilometers offshore in under a minute.
Yup, they work! The Estonian Defence Forces @Kaitsevagi trained with their very own HIMARS for the first time today. pic.twitter.com/BNQIoMo2CZ
— MoD Estonia (@MoD_Estonia) July 11, 2025
“We didn’t actually do much damage to the sea,” said Warrant Officer Margus Oras of the EDF Artillery Battalion. “But in terms of accuracy, we’re capable of hitting a bucket from a very long distance.”
Six HIMARS systems were delivered to Estonia in the spring as part of a U.S.-funded NATO security assistance package. The launchers are capable of striking targets up to 300 kilometers away.
The exercise prompted criticism from Moscow. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Estonia and neighboring Baltic states of “provocative actions” and warned that Russia will defend its interests in the region.
“The Baltic region is tense due to the aggressive policies of European coastal states,” Peskov said.
The Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—all NATO members, have expanded their defense capabilities following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. With the acquisition of HIMARS, Estonia now joins its neighbors in shifting toward long-range precision strike systems.
Lithuania has ordered eight HIMARS launchers, with deliveries beginning this year while Latvia is set to receive six HIMARS systems along with ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) by 2027.
