Procurement of equipment for Estonian troops has been consolidated under a new agency. Troop photo by Estonian Defense Forces

TALLINN, Estonia, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A new Estonian government agency for consolidating the procurements of the Ministry of Defense and its subordinate agencies has been established.

The Estonian Center for Defense Investments, which became operational Tuesday, also brings military infrastructure projects under its management umbrella.


"The creation of the new institution frees the Defense Forces from having to perform non-military related tasks and allows for the consolidation of all procurement and infrastructure related knowledge and experience under common management," said Minister of Defense Margus Tsahkna. "Newly added military capabilities and the doubling in volume of procurements and infrastructure projects over the past few years require support that is more efficient than that offered by the current procurement organization procedure, which has become outdated."

The Ministry of Defense, the Defense Forces and subordinate establishments each previously organized procurements separately.

Estonia's Ministry of Defense said Investments and defense-related special equipment procurements were more than $60 million in 2010 and are expected to grow to as much as $210 million by 2020.

The Estonian Center for Defense Investments will increase the transparency and efficiency of the procurement process and will help to "harmonize and raise the quality of procurements," Tsahkna said.