In late September, the U.S. Congress reported receiving a request to confirm State Department approval for Estonia to purchase a batch of M142 launchers under the Foreign Military Sales programme. Estonia requested only six launchers but a very large quantity of ammunition, including 5,136 GMLRS rockets of various types and 182 MGM-140 M57 ATACMS missiles, with the potential package reaching a maximum value of 4.23 billion dollars.
Pevkur said Estonia “Ma pieniądze, a zakup jest na liście planów,” indicating the government has both the financial resources and intent to move ahead. He added that the Estonian government has already contacted the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, about possible deliveries and received what he described as the obvious response that any agreement requires approval from Washington.
Deliveries, if approved, are expected to take place in 2028–2029. The issue has drawn attention because Estonia’s first HIMARS order, signed in 2020, arrived several months late, with deliveries completed only at the end of April this year.
During the delay, Estonia also launched a procurement process for South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace K239 Chunmoo system, a similar but heavier launcher carrying two pods instead of one. Pevkur’s statement suggests Tallinn may either abandon a future Chunmoo contract or operate both systems in parallel.
