TL:DR – UK Troops Collaborate with NATO for Snowy Training Exercises in Estonia
- NATO troops, including British and Estonian forces, are participating in Exercise Winter Camp in Estonia, emphasising the alliance’s strength amidst rising tensions.
- 1,250 soldiers, including a US tank company, are training in extreme cold conditions, with temperatures reaching -30°C.
- The exercise, part of Operation Cabrit, aims to enhance NATO’s operational readiness in harsh climates.
- UK forces are also preparing for Exercise Hyperion Storm, focusing on interoperability within NATO’s Allied Reaction Force.
How UK troops are training with NATO in snowy Estonia | News World
Challenger 2 Tanks in NATO Exercises
A British commanding officer has said NATO feels ‘stronger than ever’ as soldiers gather for a training exercise in Estonia.
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Luson, commanding officer of the Royal Tank Regiment, stated that the exercise at the Tapa military base, involving around 1,250 troops, demonstrated the health of the alliance. British forces are deployed to Estonia and Poland under Operation Cabrit, the UK’s contribution to NATO’s Forward Land Forces in the two countries.
Soaring Tensions Amidst NATO Alliances
This comes as tensions within NATO have increased in recent weeks due to President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland. However, Lt Col Luson mentioned that concerns about the future of the alliance have not impacted the morale at the range, where NATO troops are testing their capabilities in extreme cold weather conditions.
‘Right now, on this training area, we have got a US tank company part of the exercise, we’ve got the French company as part of the Forward Land Force battle group, and we are operating alongside Estonian partners as well,’ he said. ‘So NATO here feels stronger than ever.’
Training in Harsh Weather Conditions
The Royal Tank Regiment has been in Estonia since September last year, and troops are currently participating in Exercise Winter Camp, aimed at ensuring NATO troops can operate effectively in severe cold weather. The soldiers have been undertaking the exercise amidst a particularly harsh Estonian winter, with temperatures dropping as low as -30°C at night.
Lt Col Luson added: ‘This year is colder than it’s been for the last couple of years. Things are still working, and so far, so good.’ Janek Baiduza, a company commander in the Estonian Defence Forces, stated that the exercise is beneficial for foreign troops to acclimate to the challenging climate. He mentioned: ‘This winter camp is perfect… It’s colder than usual, challenging. The main reason is to exchange experiences; maybe for foreign and other countries participating in the winter camp, they can gain a lot of experience fighting in these conditions.’
Exercise Hyperion Storm and the NATO Allied Reaction Force
In Northumberland, ahead of planned activities, UK forces were seen conducting a dramatic mock attack on an enemy position. After two years of intensive preparation and training, including the construction of a new NATO Joint Operations Headquarters, the UK will lead the NATO Allied Reaction Force (ARF) Special Operations Component. Exercise Hyperion Storm serves as a validation exercise for the Task Groups that will be under the command of the Special Operations Command Centre (SOCC).
The MOD stated: ‘Growing in complexity, the rigorous training has built on the skills required for Special Operations to ensure they are fully interoperable with NATO partners.’