Retired or reservist, senior military officers have transitioned into roles within defense industry companies, a trend partly attributed to the significant growth of the defense market, according to security expert Meelis Oidsalu, who was a long-term Ministry of Defense employee, 2000 to 2021.

Oidsalu advocates for encouraging cross-sector movement, stressing mutual benefits he says public-private sector collaboration can bring, along with expertise brought by experienced military personnel.

Doing this should work in tandem with ditching outworn attitudes including those demonstrated by the media, he said.

“In my opinion, the media in Estonia, including business journalism, tends to demonize this cross-sector movement: An outdated Cold War mindset.”

A guilty-before-proven-innocent tendency needs to go too, Oidsalu said.

“The new reality is this: States that foster natural and supported cross-sector collaboration, and are unafraid to seek advice during crises without there immediately arising suspicions of corruption, tend to fare better in crises. So this should be encouraged in Estonia too,” he went on.

Heightened competition can only be a good thing, Oidsalu added. “New companies are entering the market, meaning existing firms must enhance their competitiveness.”

“One logical way to do this is by recruiting former top military leaders. This is common practice in the West,” Oidsalu concluded.

Kusti Salm, who stepped down as Ministry of Defense permanent secretary, or secretary general, at the end of August, had when announcing his resignation earlier in summer cited as a factor Estonia’s failure to make critical decisions on boosting the country’s ammunition reserves.

Salm went on to become CEO of new defense tech firm Frankenburg Technologies.

Frankenburg Technologies, founded this year, specializes in developing and producing innovative, mass-production-ready air defense missiles across Estonia, Latvia, and Ukraine.

In recent weeks, Salm was joined at Frankenburg Technologies by former Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) commander Gen. (retd) Martin Herem, who serves as a strategic advisor.

Another retired former military officer, Maj. Gen. Veiko-Vello Palm, previously favored by both Salm and Herem as the latter’s replacement, also sits on the Frankenburg board.

Salm and Herem are both involved in autonomous systems and robotic manufacturer Milrem Robotics, as board member and advisor respectively.

MEP Riho Terras (Isamaa), Herem’s predecessor as EDF commander, also served on Milrem’s board, though left after its acquisition by UAE investors EDGE.

He subsequently became a board advisor at military vehicles manufacturer Go Craft and has joined the board of military intel management platform Sensus Q alongside another retired officer, Maj. Gen., Riho Ühtegi, who used to command the volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit).

Terras told ERR that these are not recent trends, calling it natural for retired military personnel to continue working in their chosen field, and contributing commendably to Estonia’s new tech and supporting tech companies with their expertise.

Other military leaders to have made a similar move and currently active in the defense sector include: Brig. Gen. Urmas Roosimägi, Lt Col. (Res.) Raivo Tamm, Col. (Ret.) Tarmo Ränisoo, and Col. (Ret.) Kalev Koidumäe, the latter now heading up the Estonian Defense and Aerospace Industry Association (Eesti Kaitse- ja Kosmosetööstuse Liit).

Former Air Force (Õhuvägi) commander Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Jaak Tarien now works at Cybernetica on reliable systems and cybersecurity, while retired Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Artur Tiganik, former EDF Chief of Staff, collaborates with Marduk Technologies on surveillance devices, following a stint at NATO’s Joint Force Command in Brunssum, Netherlands.

All that has changed, according to Oidsalu, is a stepped-up pace due to a growing market.

The public sector should cooperate more with the private sector here too, he added.

In February last year, the UAE-based EDGE Group acquired a majority stake in Milrem, though its headquarters remained in Tallinn.

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