The United States has signed a Security of Supply Arrangement with Estonia, enabling quick industrial acquisitions for both countries to meet urgent defense needs, the Department of Defense announced Friday.
Estonia is the 14th country that partnered with the United States under the bilateral, non-binding agreement, which is also designed to solve unforeseen defense capability disruptions and foster a resilient supply chain.
Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom are the other U.S. SOSA partners.
According to the DOD, SOSAs strengthen its interoperability with U.S. defense trade partners and streamline the department’s processes. Joint working groups and communication mechanisms can also be established through the arrangements, it added.
The SOSA with Estonia will provide the Balkan county with supply assurances under the U.S. Defense Priorities and Allocations System wherein DOD sets the program determinations and the Department of Commerce handles rating authorizations.
Estonia, for its part, will create with its industrial base a code of conduct under which Estonian companies will exert effort to prioritize U.S. defense orders.
Aside from the SOSA, the United States and Estonia are bound by an Agreement on Defense Cooperation signed in 2017.
