According to an Estonian Ministry of Defense press release, at the meeting on Wednesday, Carns said there are plans for the U.K. to deploy its new Ajax Infantry Fighting Vehicles to Estonia within the next few years.

The move bolsters the U.K.'s commitment to Estonia and enhances the capabilities of its Forward Land Forces (FLF) — a reinforcement force that includes a permanently based armored battlegroup and can be augmented to a full brigade during a crisis.

"The U.K. Armed Forces have been an excellent partner for Estonia, and it is encouraging to see the British modernizing their armored forces and introducing new Ajax Infantry Fighting Vehicles," said Pevkur.

"According to the U.K. Armed Forces Minister, we can expect to see these new vehicles in Estonia in the coming years as part of our bilateral defense cooperation Roadmap, further enhancing Estonia's defense capabilities and the deterrence provided by our Allies in the region," he added.

After meeting with Pevkur, Carns will visit British troops stationed at Tapa Military Base and participate in a demonstration of the Ajax armored vehicles.

The United Kingdom has long been a key defense partner for Estonia.

NATO decided to deploy Allied battlegroups to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland following the 2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw.

The first NATO Battlegroup arrived at Estonia's 1st Infantry Brigade in April 2017. The U.K. serves as the framework nation for the Battlegroup, with France as a contributing nation.

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This article has been amended to reflect that the Ajax Infantry Fighting Vehicles are expected to arrive in Estonia in the coming years, rather than next year, as previously announced.

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