Malev (military unit)

A malev is an Estonian military unit led by a senior officer that is subordinate to an infantry division. A malev was originally based on a manpower of county and was led by a county vanem. 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.

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 malev's 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.

Sources and references

 * Estonian Defence League malevs