PPA: Estonia needs new and better-equipped rescue helicopters
The Police and Border Guard Board says its three rescue helicopters are not enough to meet operational needs and that Estonia should have at least five.
There are tasks that can only be carried out using rescue helicopters. These include search and rescue operations, firefighting and medical flights when the ambulance network is unable to provide adequate coverage or when patients are transferred from smaller hospitals to major medical centers.
Rescue helicopters also play a key role in national defense tasks. For example, when fighter jets are scrambled, a helicopter must be on standby to provide emergency rescue support. They are also involved in border patrols and special operations.
The Police and Border Guard Board's air unit currently operates three helicopters and two airplanes.
Estonia received its first AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter in 2007, the second in 2008 and the third in February 2011.
Although the country has three rescue helicopters, its ability to deploy two at once has dropped to just 20–25 percent. The aircraft frequently require repairs and only the newest one is equipped with a de-icing system, which itself is unreliable.
For technical reasons, the helicopter on standby has been unable to fly on 13 days this year. While 16 medical flights were canceled due to poor weather in 2024, the number this year stands at nine, with 84 carried out so far.
Choppers scrambled in 15 minutes
At the start of the year, questions were raised about whether Estonia's helicopter capability was sufficient, after a tragic incident in which a helicopter was unable to assist someone in need.
According to the Police and Border Guard Board, the situation has since improved over the past year.
Head of border guard at PPA Veiko Kommusaar said that Estonia can now launch a helicopter from Tallinn within 15 minutes around the clock to respond to national emergencies.
The air base has been upgraded with new storage and rest facilities, the team has grown and training has been expanded. Thanks to the new facilities, the on-call crew is now stationed together 24/7 in one location and can quickly respond to urgent calls.
However, helicopter operations are still limited by weather conditions.
"At the airport, we have no issues taking off even in challenging weather thanks to support systems, but the weather depends on the incident location — conditions have to be suitable there, too. Our biggest concerns remain low clouds and the risk of icing," Kommusaar explained.
"Icing occurs when weather conditions change in different air layers. If icing develops, the helicopter becomes unflyable and if it's not equipped with anti-icing systems, it can crash," he said.
Because the helicopters undergo regular maintenance in rotation, there can be situations where only the one without an anti-icing system is available during poor weather.
"Without a doubt, anti-icing should be a standard feature on all helicopters Estonia acquires now and in the future, considering our climate," Kommusaar emphasized.
When Estonia first acquired its rescue helicopters, anti-icing systems were still in development and the AW139 received in 2011 was among the first of its kind to be equipped with such a system.
There are also times when two similar emergencies happen simultaneously, but only one helicopter is flight-ready.
"In those cases, we have to make a choice. Naturally, saving lives is our top priority," Kommusaar said. "But the availability of a second helicopter not being what it should be in the future is definitely a problem today."
Helicopters nearing end of service life
A helicopter's useful lifespan is about 30 years. However, rescue operations over salty sea water take a heavy toll on the equipment and Estonia has had to replace some key and costly components earlier than expected.
"For example, we already had to replace the rotors, even though, based on technical guidelines, that shouldn't have been necessary for another couple of years," Kommusaar said, adding that as the helicopters age, maintenance becomes more critical and spare parts harder to obtain.
PPA: At least five helicopters needed
For complex special operations requiring the safe transport of multiple teams at once, one helicopter is not enough. According to the Police and Border Guard Board, Estonia should have at least five helicopters and the ability to respond from two separate locations.
"Taking off from Tallinn alone doesn't meet the 'golden hour' standard for providing assistance across the entire country. That's why we believe a second base is necessary. Today, our preferred location is Saaremaa, which would improve coverage of the Baltic Sea and already has the necessary infrastructure," Kommusaar said.
The PPA also operates a surveillance plane and given the state's monitoring needs, the agency believes it is essential to have a second aircraft with at least equal capabilities.
"Today's multifaceted environment — from surveillance of the eastern border to rescuing people in the Baltic Sea — is broad and ambitious enough that we clearly see the need for a significant increase in capability," Kommusaar said.
Interior ministry looking for funding
At the beginning of the year, the Ministry of the Interior completed an analysis of Estonia's helicopter capability, but the contents of that report have not been made public.
"However, what we can say is that in order to fully address the main capability gaps of the current rescue helicopters — limited technical availability, long maintenance times and the lack of anti-icing systems on all aircraft — all helicopters will need to be replaced at once," said Krista Aas, deputy secretary general for assets at the Ministry of the Interior.
The ministry also noted that to respond more quickly and efficiently to various rescue incidents, such as ensuring helicopter readiness from more than one location and improving technical availability, it may be necessary to increase the number of helicopters.
"To fulfill the state's responsibilities, we want to continue using helicopters in the same size class. We are also continuing to analyze aviation needs and plan to update the PPA's air capability development strategy in 2026," Aas added.
No funding for new helicopters is included in the current state budget strategy. "Therefore, we are actively seeking financing options to replace the helicopters and are prepared to move forward with that even before their projected end of service life," Aas said.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
