Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Security

When it comes to buying self-propelled guns, it is essential to include the maintenance of the weapon systems, training and upkeep in one tender, head of the Defense Investment Center (RKIK) Col. Rauno Sirk told BNS in January. "Nowadays all howitzers are very good, but it is very important to us for the maintenance base to be close to us," he explained.

Finland is about to replace its mostly Soviet-made self-propelled artillery and will buy new ones probably from South Korea. At the end of last year Finnish military tested the K9 Thunder howitzers of Samsung Techwin in Rovajarvi.

Finnish Minister of Defense Jussi Niinisto proposed to Estonia to jointly procure self-propelled howitzers, Finland's leading daily Helsingin Sanomat reported in December.

Finland and Estonia have previously teamed up to acquire medium-range radars.