Estonia Bought a Top-Tier Air Defense System — Then Hit an Unexpected Wall
Estonia has taken a major step in strengthening its national defense with the arrival of its first IRIS-T SLM air defense system, a platform that has already built a strong… 
Estonia has taken a major step in strengthening its national defense with the arrival of its first IRIS-T SLM air defense system, a platform that has already built a strong reputation in Ukraine. The delivery is historic for the country, not only because it introduces a completely new capability into Estonian service, but also because it represents the largest defense procurement in Estonia’s history.
Yet there is an important catch: despite now having the system on its soil, Estonia cannot use it operationally just yet.
The reason is straightforward. The country has never operated a medium-range air defense system of this kind before, and that means…
