Estonia: nearly 1,100 servicemen in Independence Day Parade

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Photo: Martin Smutov

There will be nearly 1,100 servicemen taking part in the Republic of Estonia anniversary parade in Tallinn, and it will be possible to see different defense forces machinery at the parade.

The Independence Day parade will start in Vabaduse (Freedom) Square in Tallinn on February 24 at 12 noon, with the units lining up at 11.15 a.m., a press officer for the defense forces headquarters told BNS. The parade will be received by President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, will be headed by commander of the Defense Forces, Brig. Gen. Riho Terras and commander of the Defense Forces Headquarters, Col. Peeter Hoppe will line up the parade.

All the armed services will be represented: the Defense College, the Staff and Communications Battalion, the Guard Battalion, the Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion, the Viru Infantry Battalion, the Scouts Battalion, the Artillery Battalion, the Anti-Aircraft Battalion, the Air Monitoring Division, the Logistics Battalion, a navy unit, the Kaitseliit Tallinn Company, the Kaitseliit Harju Company and the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences. Music will be played at the parade by the Defense Forces' Brass Band and the Band of the Police and the Border Guard Board.

There will be nearly 1,100 members of the defense forces, members of Kaitseliit and cadets of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences in the parade. There will be 23 flags and and six companies, four batteries, seven platoons and two bands lined up in the parade.

In accordance with plans there will be a flyover of the Estonian Air Force machines along with the Police and Border Guard helicopter and the Police and the Border Guard Board helicopter and F-16 fighters of the Danish Air Force.

Of the armaments and machinery it will be possible to see in addition to small arms also 155 and 122 millimeter howitzers,  Mistral anti-aircraft complexes, ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft cannon, Milan and Mapats anti-tank missile complexes, 120 and 81 mm mine throwers, 90 millimeter bazookas, Sisu XA-180 and XA-188 armored personnel carriers, a mobile Ground Master air surveillance radar, and different battle support vehicles. After the parade it will be possible to see the equipment and machinery at an exhibition in Vabaduse Square.

The main rehearsal of the parade will take place at 9 p.m. on February 23 in Vabaduse Square.

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