Exercise Forest Armour

This week, the armoured elements of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Estonia (eFP BG Estonia), have been training alongside 1. Jalaväebrigaad/1st Infantry Brigade in the forests of Estonia. The movement of armoured units in forested terrain is a challenge faced since the conception of armoured warfare and is just one of the many aspects of warfighting that eFP Estonia must maintain a continual mastery of.

All across the Baltics, NATO’s eFP Battlegroups maintain the highest levels of operational readiness in order to sustain peace. They do this by working shoulder to shoulder with host nation forces to maximise interoperability via the conduct of regular pre-planned exercises.

Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) has been working in the Danish Straits together with two Royal Danish Navy vessels this week. In the course of their Historic Ordinance Disposal (HOD) operations, searching for the residual and potentially lethal relics of past wars, the crew of the LNS Jotvingis took the opportunity to practice seamanship and small arms shooting skills with the crews of the Danish Naval Ships.

The work of NATO’s SNMCMGs is vital to the Alliance objective of maintaining safe maritime environments for all vessels operating in a legal manner, be they passenger vessels, cargo ships or warships.

This week the medical staff of Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Lithuania (eFP BG Lithuania) conducted a training exercise designed to test interoperability between the different national elements that comprise the force.

Medical personnel from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway worked together in a scenario in which they were (for exercise) first responders to a simulated artillery strike. Simultaneously caring for 20 casualties, most of whom require different medical care, is a situation that demands the highest levels of competence. It was pleasing to note participating medical practitioners displayed superb levels of professionalism throughout the course of the exercise.