10:07 GMT, July 28, 2009 The Estonian Ministry of Defence signed a procurement contract for the compilation of a detailed plan for the Jägala army base. The Jägala army base to be established in the next decade will mainly accommodate the military units of the Defence Forces that are suffering from lack of space in Tallinn.

The public procurement for the compilation of the detailed plan for the Jägala army base was granted to AS Koger & Partnerid and pursuant to the procurement contract the plan will be completed by 30 June 2010. The total cost of the procurement of the detailed plan will be EEK 285 000.

The detailed plan will be compiled for the Jägala army base as an object of significant spatial impact. Together with the compilation of the detailed plan, the environmental impacts of the army base to be established will also be strategically assessed to identify the potential effects of the base on the surrounding environment, which must be taken into account during construction and use.

According to the Defence development plan for 2009-2018 approved by the government in January, in the next decade, Jägala will accommodate the Guard Battalion, the Headquarters and Signal Battalion, the Estonian Logistics Battalion and the Military Intelligence Battalion that are currently suffering from lack of space in Tallinn, as well as the Staff of the 1st Infantry Brigade from Paldiski. These military units are located in Tallinn in depreciating army bases. Also the current location of the military units does not facilitate the conduct of military trainings, as the traffic conditions in Tallinn complicate access to exercise fields and the activity of the Defence Forces clashes with the interests of the people living in the suburban new house districts.

In Jägala, of the current buildings, only the historic manors are planned to be preserved, and all the necessary barracks, staff and study buildings, warehouses, garages, obstacle courses, etc., will be established for carrying out trainings.

The reconstruction of the Jägala army base will be the most capacious construction project of the Ministry of Defence in the following decade. At that, the construction of Jägala base is being considered as a Public-Private Partnership.

In addition to the reconstruction of the Jägala army base, the Defence development plan foresees the full completion of the Jõhvi, Tapa, Võru and Paldiski army bases of the Defence Forces, as well as all exercise fields and the central training area of the Defence Forces.