NATO's Estonia wind farm dilemma: Security vs. sustainability
The development of onshore and offshore wind farms limits the defence capabilities of Estonia and NATO, and the installations pose a security threat, said Colonel Ants Kiviselg, head of the Military Intelligence Agency, on Thursday. The commander of the naval forces, Commander Ivo Vark, shares a similar opinion.
- Wind farms disrupt radio intelligence, complicate the reception and positioning of signals from enemy territory and ultimately shorten early warning times – which are critical in the event of an enemy attack, evaluated Kiviselg in an interview published on Thursday for ERR radio. He also noted that this negatively affects NATO's defence capabilities, especially in detecting foreign objects.
At the beginning of this month, representatives of the armed forces administration and the climate department assured that they are taking actions to mitigate the potential impact of wind turbines, which, according to national plans, are to be built by 2033, on military operations.
Delays of even a few dozen minutes
As part of these actions, the purchase of new radar systems is planned, which will be particularly used on the northwestern coast of Estonia and in the region of the largest islands: Saaremaa and Hiiumaa.
As Kiviselg explains, the shortened early warning time means that in the case of a drone that could accidentally cross Estonia's border, detecting it becomes "more difficult." - If we talk about the worst-case scenario – such as a potential military attack against Estonia – shortened early warning times could have critical implications. For instance, early warning for launched missiles – whether Iskander missiles or missiles launched from aircraft – could be reduced if we fail to detect the takeoff of an aircraft or its pre-launch maneuvers. Here, we are talking about minutes or even tens of minutes of reduced warning time – explained the military official.
According to the naval forces commander, Commander Ivo Vark, disruptions in signal detection, caused by reflections from movable and fixed turbine blades, make it difficult to locate objects at sea. This affects not only combat unit missions but also rescue operations.
- All wind farms planned in Estonian waters – whether in territorial waters or the exclusive economic zone – disrupt our operations to varying degrees – said Vark, noting that turbines placed in areas stretching for tens of kilometres create a kind of "barrier".
Swedes halt wind turbine projects along the coast
He added that "the anti-ship missiles we use today are operated from land, and offshore wind farms impose significant limitations on their effectiveness." The commander of the Estonian naval forces simultaneously admitted that he "fully" shares the opinion of the Swedish armed forces, whose intervention in wind energy plans, due to the threat from Russia, recently influenced the Stockholm government's rejection of several wind farm projects along the coast.
- I can say that everything Sweden has pointed out is entirely valid. I understand our colleagues' concerns. Since our operating environment, naval warfare doctrine and even the adversary – or threat – are similar, I fully share their view that offshore wind farms pose a security risk – he concluded.
