Riga, 4 October 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Estonia and Latvia are planning to expand and modernize the transport capabilities of their armed forces by jointly acquiring military vehicles worth a total of some €693 million ($729 million), Estonian officials said on Wednesday.

The Estonian Defence Investment Centre said it has signed a framework agreement with the local representatives of manufacturers Volvo, Scania and Mercedes Benz. The contract has a term of seven years, the authority said.

The vehicles are of various types and sizes and are to be ordered and delivered in batches, according to the statement. Among them will be logistics vehicles designed for road transport and tactical vehicles that can be used both in the field and on the road. Nearly 400 vehicles are to be acquired in the first phase of the procurement, with the first to be delivered next year, the statement said.

Estonia and Latvia have recently expanded their cooperation in the armament sector in light of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The two neighbouring Baltic EU and NATO states bordering Russia have agreed to jointly purchase the German-made medium-range Iris-T air defence system.

Photo: Internet