Malev (military unit)

A malev is an Estonian military unit led by a senior officer that is subordinate to an infantry division. The term: malev is historical; it was originally based on the manpower of county and was led by a county vanem (leader). A Malev is bigger than a pataljon (battalion) but smaller than a diviis (division). It is currently the largest military formation among the Estonian Defence League infantry units.
The Defence League is a fully armed and trained paramilitary defence organization whose aim is to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of Estonia, the integrity of its land area and its constitutional order. Thus it is tasked with various duties assisting government agencies at the local level when needed. It far outnumbers the standing army and will be called "up" and folded into the Estonian Land Forces () during an emergency. As such, while smaller units of troopers within the malev will conform in size, organization and function to normal NATO style military practices, the overall size of any particular malev depends on the geographical area under command.
Leadership
Usually, a malev is a sub-component of a division, a larger unit consisting of two or more malevs; however, some brigades are classified as a separate brigade and operate independently from the traditional division structure. A malevs commanding officer is commonly a major or colonel.
Organization
A modern malev is typically composed of three to five companies or battalions, depending on the area and available manpower of a given county. Each malev can operate independently on a battlefield encompassing an area of 10 x 15 kilometres.

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