The Estonian Ministry of Defence has not disclosed the number of systems ordered or the delivery schedule. However, the Mistral system is not new to Estonia’s armed forces, which have been using older variants for years.
In June 2023, Estonia had already announced plans to acquire the Mistral 3 missiles as part of an international cooperation framework. France, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia and Hungary signed a joint agreement on the matter.
A year later, during the Eurosatory 2024 defence exhibition in Paris, a framework agreement was concluded, enabling the joint procurement to proceed through France’s defence procurement agency DGA. This agreement laid the groundwork for Estonia’s current contract with MBDA.
The Mistral 3 is the most advanced version of MBDA’s very short-range missile system. Weighing 20 kilograms, it features an infrared-guided seeker and advanced image processing, operating on a “fire-and-forget” principle.
With a speed of up to Mach 2.7 and a 3-kilogram warhead, the system is capable of neutralising a range of aerial threats, from fighter jets and transport aircraft to helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles, at distances up to 8 kilometres. According to MBDA, the effectiveness of the Mistral 3 system exceeds 96 percent, making it one of the most reliable weapons in its class.
Source: TED.
