Active present Type infantry Commander Colonel | Country Estonia Size 8,750 Branch Estonia Defence Forces | |
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Equipment small firearms
grenade launchers
mortars
tactical transport vehicles
infantry fighting vehicles
portable missile launchers
artillery group
air defence systems | ||
A brigaad, (English: brigade) is an Estonian military unit commanded by a senior officer that is subordinate to an infantry division. A Brigade is bigger than a pataljon (battalion) but smaller than a diviis (division). It is currently the largest military structure that the Estonian infantry can field.
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Leadership
An Estonian brigade consists of 5,000 to 8,750 soldiers, and is subdivided into battalions. A brigaad is made up of seven battalions of 900 to 1,250 soldiers each, commanded by a Brigade Leader (brigaadiülem) who is usually a colonel (kolonel). His second in command is a major.
Organization
In the future, a brigaad will operate on the battlefield alongside other brigades on a sector not greater than 10 x 15 kilometres. There is a logistical support element in the structure of a brigaad based on a reserve battalion. The transportation component of an Estonian brigade consists of approximately 1,500 tactical transport vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG 435.
Other military uses
A brigade's commanding officer is ordinarily a brigadier general, brigadier or colonel. In Imperial or Commonwealth forces, the brigadier was assisted by a brigade major who was Chief of Staff of the brigade. In the armies of colonial powers, such as the British Empire, brigades frequently garrisoned isolated colonial posts, and their commanders had substantial discretion and local authority.