Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 The Defence Region and its tasks By Ants Laaneots, Major General of the Estonian Defence Forces According to the Main directions of Estonian defence policy ratified by the ised command is lost or if the enemy Parliament on May 7, 1996, the defence conception of the country is based on the breaks through in the deep of the terri- principle of territorial defence. In Chapter III of that document the following is tory. stated: To organise national defence the territory of the country is divided into - division of wartime units into two defence regions. / / Every defence region is divided into defence districts (RT parts general-purpose forces and terri- torial (national defence) units. I 1996, 33, pg. 890). - wide use of dispersed combat tac- The purpose of Estonian territorial The distinctiveness of territorial de- tics and guerrilla activities. By establish- defence is to wear down the intruding fence is: ing locations for combat activities instead enemy in every way, to slow down enemy - decentralisation of the defence of fronts and by guerrilla activities in the advance by every kind of combat activ- forces by establishing districts. Form- rear area of the aggressor the latter is given ity, to fiercely protect strategically impor- ing and preparing wartime units, mobili- no opportunity to benefit from his ad- tant objects to keep them under own con- sation and implementing in wartime are vantage in firepower. The enemy is tied trol until other states in the international done in specific areas of responsibility. in constant combat that has no fixed front security system could react with political, Such military-territorial units are inde- line or rear. economical and military help. And after pendent in their preparation and conduct The territorial defence system consists that to free the territory of the country of combat activities. They are based on of defence regions, defence districts, navy- either independently or with the help of the availability of local reserves and sup- and air force units and units and estab- others. plies and can operate also when central- lishments under central command. 87 Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 In its order no 198-k Creating defence mand subordinate units and raise a de- them with preparation for and conduct regions and forming their staffs dated gree of combat readiness; of civil defence and rescue activities; March 13, 1998, the Government of the - to plan and prepare to raise combat In time of crisis: Republic of Estonia tasked the Defence readiness and carry out mobilisation; - planned and orderly to raise defence Forces to establish defence regions. The - to plan and prepare for defensive mili- readiness of the defence region and to Defence Minister attempted in his order tary activities through specific action plans form and prepare wartime units for de- from July 22, 1998 Forming the staffs of and through checking their feasibility by fence activities; defence regions to implement the order. conducting training and exercises; - in co-operation with border guards However, this implementation has been - to plan, prepare and constantly con- to counter border violations; delayed for several reasons. trol the availability in quantity and qual- - to wear down the invading enemy The defence region (DR) is a military- ity of the necessary reserves (reservists, and slow down the enemy advance start- territorial operative body of troops ca- vehicles) and supplies for carrying out ing from the borders of own area of re- pable of independent operations. It con- defence tasks; sponsibility with combat activities of sists of different defence districts (DD) - to organise peacetime training and border guards and general-purpose as well and units from different arms. activities of general-purpose forces units as territorial defence units that can be as well as territorial defence units and to formed immediately; to block enemy as- Tasks of a defence region provide regular supplies according to the saults and tie him up in combat opera- orders of the Chief of Defence; tions thus creating the conditions for The tasks, structure and composition - to organise the guarding and protection forming main defence forces and for us- of a defence region are usually determined of objects at the defence forces disposal; ing them in an organised way; in accordance with the operative tasks - to ensure that border guards units - to hold strategically important areas given to it and with its location. In its and rescue board units in the area of re- objects; area of responsibility a DR may have the sponsibility of the defence region are pre- - to tie enemy forces with active de- following tasks: pared and ready; fence, gaining time and creating condi- In peacetime: - to prepare the area of responsibility tions for outside forces to arrive and take - to observe the situation on land, sea for defence activities; the initiative; and in air space; - to establish the necessary co-opera- - to destroy the enemy by constant at- - to maintain constant readiness to com- tion with civilian authorities, helping tacks with own forces and together with 88 Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 helping forces eventually to free all Esto- received complete military training and To guarantee effectiveness the DD nian territory; who will have the best weapons, equip- headquarters must be formed already in - to organise guerrilla war and counter ment and vehicles of the defence forces. peacetime integrated with the headquar- activities in the areas conquered by the The battalion or a unit equal to it (artil- ters of Defence League units. enemy; lery battalion, air defence division etc.) is It is recommendable to form rescue - to assist civilian authorities in their the base unit for the general-purpose units as specialised units within the defence conduct of rescue and civil defence ac- forces. In wartime it is practical to form regions based on rescue board peacetime tivities. brigades that operate according to the companies. Being in the special purpose A wartime defence region consists of: principles of Task Forces, i.e. brigades with- reserve of the commander of the defence a) units of general-purpose forces; out a permanent structure. Their composi- region these units carry out the most im- b) territorial units, incl. defence districts, tion is determined by the commander of a portant tasks of rescue and civil defence, and rescue units and border guard districts. DR according to the tasks given to them. if needed also engineer tasks in wartime. The units with the best weapons and Defence districts (DD) are formed In wartime border guard districts con- the best training status are designated to on the basis of units from the Estonian tinue observation, guarding and protect- the general-purpose forces. These include Defence League as tactical units de- ing the border in their area of responsi- mechanised, infantry, coastguard, artillery, signed to complete territorial defence bility operating under the command of air defence and engineer units. General- tasks within a certain area of responsi- the commander of the defence region. In purpose forces are formed on the basis bility. In order to form defence districts sectors attacked by the enemy they organ- of defence forces peacetime units or by it is practical to use reservists between the ise fierce resistance on the border with defence districts. They are not associated age of 20-55 who have completed conscript the purpose of gaining time necessary for with any specific area of responsibility service or have received the necessary the mobilising the defence region. When and they are used, under command of military training in some other way. They the aggressors forces break through the the Chief (supreme Commander) of De- will be given weapons, equipment and sub-units of the border guard district fence, to complete the most important vehicles of the Defence Forces and the remain in the enemy rear and begin guer- combat tasks in any area of the country. Defence League not designated for De- rilla activities in designated areas. When In order to form general-purpose forces, fence Force wartime units. Also older fe- the territory of the country is freed they those reservists are used, who are between male and male volunteers may be included assume the border guarding duties with- the age of 19-35, who are healthy and have in the DD to carry out lighter duties. out waiting for special orders. 89 Baltic Defence Review No. 3 Volume 2000 To guarantee the success of the com- bat activities the Chief (Supreme Com- mander) of the Defence Forces may rein- force a defence region with additional land-, air- and/or navy units. Principles of territorial defence activities Taking into account that combat will often take place against an enemy supe- rior in size and firepower as well as mo- bile and fire power, the following recom- mendations may be given for conduct- ing combat activities: - since we are not able to considerably improve our firepower, we must prevent the enemy from using his fire in a con- centrated way. Defensive battles must be conducted not in the pre-planned defence sectors or positions but in deep areas, - mines and other obstacles must be persed manner and thus avoiding his us- creating combat sectors and using so called widely used. Since we are not able to re- ing his forces in a concentrated way; dispersed combat tactics; markably improve our units mobility - it is important to protect large in- - the technical weakness of own weap- in the near future, we must try to slow habited locations because combat in built- onry and inferior mobility must be com- the enemy mobility down to our level; up areas allows tying and defeating nu- pensated by a multitude of forces and prac- - to gain local superiority the enemy merous enemy forces with small forces (as tical arrangement of territorial defence; forces must be tied in combat in a dis- the Chechnya war example proves); 90 Baltic Defence Review No.