On Wednesday, June 10, a two-day A2/AD (Anti-Access/Area Denial) seminar organized by the NATO Force Integration Unit Estonia (NFIU Estonia) in Tallinn, Estonia, concluded. The event opened with a keynote address by the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Andrus Merilo, and brought together more than 100 representatives from NATO nations to discuss developments, challenges, and opportunities related to A2/AD in the Baltic Sea region and beyond.
A2/AD is a military strategy in which a combination of weapon systems and military capabilities creates a so-called defensive bubble designed to prevent an adversary from entering a specific area or to make operations within that area extremely difficult and risky.
According to Wing Commander Michael Gallagher, Deputy Commander of the NFIU in Estonia, A2/AD remains a key focus area for military planners, particularly in the Baltic States, where a crisis or conflict could require the rapid reinforcement of the region by land, sea, and air.
“In times of crisis and conflict, the Baltic States effectively become an island, and the realistic supply of both civilian and military populations is largely dependent on maritime routes,” said Wing Commander Gallagher. “To maintain open sea and air lines of communication, the effects of adversary’s A2/AD systems must be rapidly and effectively neutralised. Failure to do so would have very serious consequences.”
Wing Commander Gallagher noted that the seminar aims to deepen understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with A2/AD, strengthen the capabilities and interoperability of units tasked with addressing these challenges, and support the development of specialists capable of providing future education and training in A2/AD-related fields.
Held for the third consecutive year, the seminar featured speakers from Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC Norfolk), 1 German-Netherlands Corps (1GNC) and the UK Air & Space Warfare Centre. Experts from Sweden, Finland, and Latvia also contributed to the discussions.
Following the seminar, participants had the opportunity to visit the international Supply, Security, and Defence (SSD) Expo at the Estonian Fairs Centre, where they explored the latest developments in defence technology and engaged with representatives from across the defence industry.
More than 100 participants from Estonia, Canada, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States attended the seminar. Among the represented units were Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, Multinational Corps Northeast, Multinational Division North, the 1 German-Netherlands Corps, and NATO Force Integration Units from the Baltic States.
