carrier vehicle, is fitted with a 35mm autocannon turret, and carries up to 8 fully equipped soldiers. The ground force's most common armored vehicles are the Pasi series armored personnel carriers of which some have been fitted into ambulance and command post vehicles roles. The similar Pasi 180 and Pasi 188 armored personnel carriers are the standard troop carrier vehicles of the ground forces. The Pasi XA-180's, which were acquired first, have also been used by the defense forces expeditionary units on peacekeeping operations in Central Asia and Africa. In recent years BTR-80 amphibious armored personnel carriers have been used as training vehicles and are now being phased out. The Estonian MoD has signed contracts for the procurement of 36 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers from South Korea, 18 of which had been delivered by December 2022, with the rest scheduled to arrive by 2026 at the latest. This is in line with the strategy to transform the 1st Infantry Brigade into a mechanized brigade. In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Estonia also signed a contract with the United States for the procurement of six HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, which are set to be delivered by end of 2024. While the ground force do not have any utility helicopters, attack helicopters or aircraft of its own, it does operate several types of unmanned aerial vehicles and rotorcrafts. Currently there are no operational armed drones in service of the ground force. In 2014, the Estonian MoD announced that Estonia, along with 12 other NATO members, plans to purchase Global Hawk drone to increase its military reconnaissance capabilities. The defense force's most common vehicles are the Unimog and DAF series general-purpose trucks and light utility vehicles such as Unimog 416, Unimog 435, DAF YA4440, and MB 250GD. There are also variety of different MAN and Sisu built military logistics vehicles, such as MAN 4520, 4620, 4640, KAT1, and Sisu E13TP, in use of the ground force, which are capable of serving as a cargo/troop carrier, artillery tractors, weapons platform and ambulance, among other roles. Uniforms The ESTDCU, is the Estonian version of the digital camouflage uniform and its various patterns are designed for use in woodland, desert, urban and winter warfare environments. Soldiers of Estonian Land Force also get the PASGT combat helmet and ballistic vest and a night vision device. Defense development plan What follows is a partial list