Igor Schvede

Rear Admiral (retired) Igor Schvede is a former commander of the Estonian Navy (2007-12) and an advisor at the Estonian MoD. At the beginning of his career, he participated in the re-establishment of the Estonian Navy and activities that safeguarded the withdrawal of the occupying ex-Soviet Navy from Estonia. He served as the Chief of Staff and the Commander of the Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) and Commander of the Estonian MCM Squadron. He completed tours of duty in the Naval Staff, Plans and Policy Department of the HQ of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), as well as the Training and Exercise Department of the NATO Maritime Component Command (MCC) in Northwood. After Estonia’s accession to NATO, he served as the officer with primary responsibility for the NATO Maritime Integration Programme for the Baltic states in MCC HQ Northwood.  In 2012, he was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) at the EDF HQ and, in 2013-16, served as the Chief of Staff of the HQ of EDF. From 2016 until 2021, he was the Estonian Military Representative to NATO and the EU.