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“Saber Strike is no longer simply a U.S. Army exercise in Europe, with 13 Allied and partner nations, it´s a truly regional training event,“ Deputy Commander Estonian Defence Forces, Brigadier General Artur Tiganik said.

“I thank the U.S. Army for leadership they have shown in Europe and I´m glad this leadership has brought on board so many of our European friends. For regional security perspective, I cannot stress enough the importance of their participation,” he added.

Saber Strike is a long-standing U.S Army Europe-led cooperative training exercise. This year's exercise objectives will focus on promoting interoperability with regional partners and improving joint operational capability in a variety of missions to prepare the participating nations and units for future operations. Estonia is the main host nation this year.

Participating nations include Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, United Kingdom, and the United States. The exercise will be held in multiple locations throughout Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Exercise Saber Strike is an annual multinational exercise organized by the U. S. Army in Europe (USAREUR) and hosted by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Patriot missiles are needed in the Baltic states to deter a Russian invasion, Estonia’s defence chief has warned.

As Nato agonises over proposals to deploy four battalions in eastern Europe concerns are growing that the measure will not be enough to provide a credible deterrent to future Russian aggression. The deployment of a force of no more than 4,000 personnel would be the first permanent basing of alliance troops in the region since the fall of the Iron Curtain.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Lieutenant General Riho Terras, Estonia’s commander-in-chief, said an inadequate air defence capability made the Baltic region vulnerable to a Russian lightning attack. Nato needed to consider increasing the number of warplanes it has based in the region, and plan for the deployment of Patriot batteries.

“Of very great importance is our self-defence capability . . . what we need [for that] is air defence capability,” said Gen Terras. “We need to be ready and we need to look at what we need to do. Russia behaves opportunistically. If they have the opportunity, they’ll jump through the window to take it.”

Nato chiefs are set to finalise a package of measures aimed at boosting eastern European defences at the alliance’s biennial summit, to be held in Warsaw in July.

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are widely seen as a prime target for Russian revanchism, should relations with Nato deteriorate further. The Baltic countries are linked to the rest of Nato territory by a narrow strip of land that runs between Belarus, one of Moscow’s staunchest allies, and Kaliningrad, the heavily militarised Russian coastal enclave.

“The Baltic states can be seen as an island,” said Gen Terras. “The gap is small . . . there’s one railway and two roads going through it.”

Basing new battalions there was a strong first step, said the general, but Nato also needed to develop its own anti-access aerial denial, or A2AD, strategy such as powerful surface-to-air missile systems — that the alliance has long feared Russia could use in the region.

Nato military chiefs say Russian missile systems in Kaliningrad have carved out an “A2AD bubble”, making it hard for the alliance to manoeuvre its forces anywhere in the area, even deep within its own territory.

For example, it would be too risky to deploy the Spearhead rapid response force, the 5,000-strong brigade established in 2014, in most of Poland or anywhere in the Baltic region in the event of a conflict with Russia, alliance generals believe.

The Baltic states cannot develop an A2AD capability on their own, said Gen Terras and need Nato to do so. “At the least, we need to be trained to get [Patriot missiles] here quickly . . . and to know where to position them, if not to have them based here [permanently] like it was the case in Turkey,” he said.

Any such development would draw an angry response from the Kremlin, which has already threatened “retaliatory measures” to the proposal to deploy four battalions. It would also up the ante in the stand-off between Russia and the US over missile defence. Patriot batteries are capable of intercepting tactical ballistic missiles but not of striking down intercontinental systems.

Stepping up Nato’s air power in the region could be an easier alternative. An existing Nato Baltic air policing arrangement involves a rotational deployment of alliance fighter jets. Four British Typhoons and four Portuguese F16s are on high-alert ready to intercept suspicious Russian aircraft. Shifting it to an air defence mission would involve a far larger deployment with combat capabilities.

Such decisions would be contentious, said Gen Terras, who was confident they would be made. “The crucial thing, whatever happens, is the unity of Nato. The centre of gravity for us is that unity,” he added. “Without it, we all lose.” 

The objective of the three-week exercise, known as Kevadtorm in Estonian, is to work on the integration of conscript and reserve units and assess the conscripts’ level of training before their official assignment to the country’s reserve forces.

The exercise’s final phase, which consists of tactical exercises, is scheduled to begin May 13, and final parade will take place on May 19 at Ridali Airfield, just north of the Southeast Estonian city of Võru.

Spring Storm, which is annually one of the biggest military exercises in Estonia, counts as the final exam for Estonian conscripts summoned in July and October of the previous year while also providing practical experience in managing military units for commanders and staff.

According to Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Lt. Gen. Riho Terras, this exercise — on Estonian soil — is also the best opportunity for Estonian forces to practice cooperation with Allied troops.

Participating over 1,000 allied troops will include the Baltic battalion of NATO’s Response Force NRF-16, which is comprised of a company each from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as a Netherlands´ mechanized infantry company with CV90 armoured combat vehicles; an additional company of Lithuanian conscripts, which will be under the command of the Estonian 1st Infantry Brigade’s Kalev Infantry Battalion; company-sized units from the US, the UK, and Germany; a team of specialists from Canada; Finnish staff officers; and Forward Air Controllers (FACs) from Germany and Poland.

Spring Storm 2016 will span Tartu, Põlva, Võru and Valga Counties in South and Southeast Estonia, primarily affecting Luunja, Mäksa, Võnnu, Ülenurme, Kambja, Haaslava, Meeksi, Vastse-Kuuste, Ahja, Mooste, Räpina, Veriora, Orava, Kanepi, Valgjärgve, Kõlleste, Laheda, Mikitamäe, Lasva, Rõuge, Sõmerpalu, Puka, and Õru Parishes.

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The U.S.-produced Javelin missile can defeat any tank in the world and is the standard system used by the U.S. Army.

Working together with U.S. to acquire this important defensive capability demonstrates the Alliance commitment to Estonia´s self-defence and mutual aid to harden national defences against external security threats.

The procurment of Javelin anti-tank missile systems is in line with the National Defence Development Plan 2013-2022, which calls for reinforcing the Defence Forces’ anti-tank capability and purchase of next-generation anti-tank missile systems.

“With this exercise we want to assure Estonian people that Defence Forces works and people living in Estonia can feel safe here,” Deputy Commander Estonian Defence Forces, Brigadier General Artur Tiganik said. According to Tiganik, there is no imminent threat to Estonia´s security now.

Early in the morning the Commander of Estonian Defence Forces initiated an exercise to train the response to potential enemy activities. The exercise scenario is not aimed at any specific country and is purely defensive in nature.

The exercise is also to test the Defence Forces´ assembly and logistics capabilities, as well as to train information gathering and staff procedures.

Most respected President of the Republic!

Honoured Speaker of the Riigikogu!

Mr. Prime Minister!

Excellences! Members of the Defence Forces and the Defence League!

My fellow citizens!

We stand here together today at Freedom Square on the occasion of the anniversary of the Independence of Estonia. The first Independence Day parade took place right here. They held inspiring speeches. Although the War of Independence was still ongoing, news from the front was exceptionally good. The Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, Major General Johan Laidoner informed the people gathered at the first anniversary of the Republic that the enemy had been forced out of the territory of Estonia.

Here are the words of the Supreme Commander sent by telegram to the gathering many years ago: “On the occasion of the Independence Day of Estonia, it is my honour in the name of the provisional government, the Defence Forces of Estonia, our young Navy and the gallant Finnish volunteers to tell you that the enemy has been forced outside of our borders and the nation of Estonia is free of enemy forces. Their large attacks in the areas of Volmari, Pihkva and Narva have been successfully repelled by our forces. It is my hope that our brave and gallant forces will continue to defend our homeland, the democratic republic of Estonia in the future just as they have done so far.”

The provisional government decided on that same day, 97 year ago to establish the highest military award in the Republic of Estonia – the Cross of Freedom. This was a thank you from a young nation to our soldiers, officers, government officials and allies. This symbol of thanks can be seen to this day in this square. The history of the War of Independence above all is a tale of people who chose freely and with a higher purpose in their hearts to go to war in the name of independence.

Free will and a show of strong character were deciding factors in the birth of the Estonian nation. Long before we could talk about entertaining the thought of our own country, far reaching and clear thinking heads started up organizations that had meetings concerning Estonia and Estonians. In today’s context it was a citizens or grassroots movement. This was the cornerstone of the foundation of the Estonian nation.

In the same way without doubt the Defence League is the cornerstone of Estonian national defence. The Defence League was tempered in the fires of the War of Independence. Prior to WWII the Defence League had over 40,000 members. This was the largest voluntary force in Estonia.

Even today the Defence League is the largest voluntary force in Estonia. The Defence League has a membership currently exceeding 25,000. This represents a significant increase just in the last year alone. The Defence League brings together individuals who take national defence as a normal part of their everyday lives. They are our sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. They live in the cities and in the country, in every corner of Estonia and they are many. They are the most informed and fastest reacting active force on the spot – they are our first line of defence.

Today on Independence Day, I want to bring forward an individual, one of many outstanding members of the Defence League. His name is Aare Kabel of the Järva malev (section) of the Defence League and he was named the 2015 Defence League member of the year. His outstanding dedication and diversity is shown even more so in the fact that he was named father of the year by Estonian Women´s Union 15 years ago. He is here today, with us in Freedom square. Let us all wish him a thank you!

The growth of the Defence League is a reflection of our surrounding security picture. Individuals who care about the progress of their nation and want to defend it, do not just lie around, they join the Defence League. By use of their free will they find the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills towards service in national defence.

Good citizens!

The Estonian Defence Forces is stronger and more wiser than a year ago. Last spring we had the largest military exercise in re-independent Estonia’s history. The entire nation of Estonia was involved. The large scale exercise Siil showed that we have taken the correct path and may feel comfortable in that our independent development of defence capabilities has the complete competent support of our reserves. As the exercise motto said “Every quill counts”. I thank all of the officers, non-commissioned officers, conscripts and reservists, members of the Defence League and allies who gave their contribution toward a lasting and more defended Estonia.

It is perfectly clear that these type of large exercises must be repeated in the future, this is the best way to be assured of the effectiveness of our national defence plan as well as how to improve it.

Similarly to the Defence League, the Defence Forces has also grown in the last year. We have grown in total personnel as well as increasing our strength with new military equipment. An up to date anti-tank system as well the recently sourced battle armoured vehicles for the Scouts Battalion has made the Estonian Defence Forces even stronger and more mobile.

Estonian history has repeatedly shown, that we have lived through hard times easier when we have had the support of allies as well as when we are understood.

Currently Estonia is understood, heard and supported more than ever before. We belong to NATO – the world’s strongest union. NATO has quickly, decisively and appropriately responded to the changing security climate.

Allied jet fighters conduct operations out of Ämari Air Force Base as well as Estonian and US soldiers train shoulder to shoulder at Tapa. Training together and consequently getting to know each other better has created a force that no enemy dare put to the test. In the next months we are awaiting German and Polish units as well as other NATO Allies to Estonia. This broadens our military deterrence capability even more.

It has already become customary that on the Republic of Estonia’s most important day our friends march beside the Estonian units. I greet our Allies from the United States of America, Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the United Kingdom.

My dear Estonians!

Just as our security is important to our Allies, it is imperative for Estonia to be as one with our friends in thought and actions. We see and feel every day that the world is not a worry free place. Wars and conflicts that precipitate large public attention are many. The corridors of power that shape the relationships between countries and people are not written in stone but are constantly changing.

The task before Estonia in this changing world is to remain true to our traditions, principles and values, to be responsible and if necessary to give our own contribution and reach out a helping hand. In the last twenty years the Estonian Defence Forces have used their skills and knowledge in various places in the world. We must be ready in the future to intervene where the international community sees as places where we can possibly prevent violence and change the security of people’s lives for the better.

As for the development of our own national security we must remain true to the principle that all our military forces, whether they are deployed in the Middle East, Mali or Afghanistan, must always be entirely ready to be committed to the defence of the Estonian nation because they are the Defence Forces of the nation of Estonia. The defence of Estonia is also the most important task of the Defence League.

Finally – the independence and freedom of our nation has never been nor ever will be self-evident. The Estonian nation was created for the purpose of defending our people and our freedom.

Long live the Republic of Estonia!

You may have forgotten, but a war is raging in Europe. Since the signing of Minsk-2 ceasefire a year ago, more than 380 Ukrainian soldiers have died in combat and nearly 1,700 have been wounded. During the first three weeks of this year, 22 Ukrainians were killed in action. That’s one dead Ukrainian soldier every day. That is not an armistice, let alone peace. That is war.

And it’s a war Ukraine neither started nor wanted. It was Russia, who invaded and annexed Crimea and then unleashed a war in eastern Ukraine. Local separatists are now commanded by Russian officers and come under the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation. So parts of Ukraine are under de facto military occupation by Russia.

As Lithuania’s foreign minister quipped: “Putin is the best peacekeeper — he breaks down the country and keeps the pieces.”

But Ukraine is not “a faraway country about which we know nothing”. It is in the middle of Europe and has a common border with four Nato member states (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania). 

As a signal of intent, Russia has re-created its 1st Tank Army. This comprises a tank division, tank brigade, mechanized infantry division and artillery brigade. This single formation has more main battle tanks then the German Bundeswehr or the British Army and is designed for offensive, not defensive, operations. 

At the same time, the Kremlin has installed long-range missile systems in Crimea and in the vicinity of the Baltic states. Combined with Iskander-M ballistic missiles and air-launched cruise missiles, these are designed to deter any Nato response in times of crisis — or when alliance member states are attacked. Mr Putin formally declared Nato a “security threat” to Russia six weeks ago.

He certainly isn’t trying to bring peace to Syria. He simply wants to vanquish all of Bashar al-Assad’s enemies and keep the president in power. His strategy is simple: just as in Chechnya, he is using overwhelming force — indiscriminate artillery strikes, bombing raids, forced removals of population and extrajudicial killings — until the opposition is no more.

As a Nato soldier I was always taught that our alliance is based on values: respect for human life and human rights, the rule of law, and governments elected freely and fairly. I’m sure they are shared by all members and citizens of Nato. But if that is the case, how can we stand by when a regime breaks countries into pieces and then keeps those pieces? And kills thousands of civilians in the process?

Lieutenant General Riho Terras is the Commander of Estonian Defence Forces

“Members of the LAF lead the joint patrols. They know the areas we patrol and speak the local language, which makes it easier for the UN forces to carry out our duties and thus enhances the opportunity for us to discover potential threats, as rocket launch positions for instance,” Platoon Leader, Second Lieutenant Janari Jaansoo said.

UNIFIL and LAF carry out regular foot and mechanized patrols, man checkpoints, host joint exercises and training, as well as conduct operations to recover and destroy weapons and munitions left from previous conflicts.

While the Estonian platoon of FINIRISHBATT has 1-2 patrols with LAF per week, shared duties and joint trainings are part of the battalion´s routine. Close cooperation between the UNIFIL and LAF forces aims at ensuring safe and secure environment in South Lebanon.

From total over 500 force Finland contributes to Finnish-led battalion with around 300 troops, Ireland around 200 troops and Estonian detachment around 40 troops. FINIRISHBATT is the only multinational battalion with operational units from Finland, Ireland and Estonia operating in UNIFIL Sector West.

As of end of May this year Estonian peacekeepers returned to UNIFIL having served in Lebanon almost 20 years ago.

On June 11, 1999, a column of 30 Russian armoured vehicles entered Serbia from Bosnia. They carried 250 elite Russian airborne troops. Their destination: Pristina airfield in Kosovo. The Nato air campaign against Serbia — the Kosovo War — had just ended but there were yet no allied “boots on the ground” to secure the Kosovan capital.

By the following morning, the small Russian detachment had secured the airfield and created new facts on the ground. Nato now had to make a choice. Force the Russians out of the airfield and risk a war? Or start negotiations? A row broke out between General Wesley Clark, the American supreme commander of Nato, and Britain’s Lt Gen Mike Jackson, in charge of Allied forces on the ground. Clark ordered Jackson to deny Russia control of the airfield. Jackson allegedly retorted that “I’m not going to start the Third World War for you”. And negotiations it was.

That audacious thrust into Pristina made Russia, a staunch supporter of Slobodan Milošević’s murderous Serbian regime, part of the Allied peacekeeping force that had defeated him. It strengthened Moscow’s hand in diplomatic negotiations over the future of Serbia and Milošević’s personal fate.

History, of course, doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme. And Russia’s recent military deployment to Syria rhymes with the move into Pristina in more ways than one.
Firstly there is the aim to shield and protect an allied regime, despite it having committed war crimes and atrocities on a massive scale.

Syria’s Bashar al-Assad has been losing ground to the rebels since the spring. Assad's forces have been disintegrating, their fighting ability and morale eroding. At the end of August the rebels were just 15 miles from the strategic port of Latakia on the Mediterranean coast. Losing Latakia could easily have triggered Syria’s entire Mediterranean coastline - the Latakia and Tartus provinces – falling into rebel hands.

That would have been the death knell of the regime. It would have cut off the vital arms supplies being shipped in by Russia and Iran, not to mention losing control of the loyalist Alawite heartland.

Russian ground attack planes stationed at Bassel al-Assad airport near Latakia – twelve Su-25 Frogfoot and twelve Su-24 Fencer – are not there to keep Russian military bases safe. Their real purpose is to support ground operations by Assad's forces. As well as planes and helicopters, Russia has a brigade-size force on the Syrian Mediterranean coast equipped with artillery, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, intelligence and reconnaissance assets. It’s also highly likely to include special forces. That is a remarkable fighting force capable of taking part in direct combat.

Secondly, Russia is gambling that its deployment in Syria paves the way for a rapprochement with the West. As low oil prices hit his export revenues, Vladimir Putin badly needs to end the western sanctions imposed on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine. What better way than by promising to end the Syrian civil war and contain Islamic State - something western nations have spectacularly failed to achieve? In exchange for using his influence with Assad to find a lasting solution in Syria, Putin hopes the West would persuade Ukraine to accept Russian demands over its eastern region.

For a war-weary West worried by the rise of Isis, it’s a tempting proposition. But it amounts to nothing - mere smoke and mirrors. Negotiations with Russia will not end the misery in Syria nor contain the spread of Isis. According to a former UN special envoy to Syria, Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov once admitted that Moscow has as little influence over Assad as the United States has over Israel. It also has no influence over the main rebel groups fighting Assad. And if Russia was sincere about fighting Isis, it would have joined the existing coalition trying to slay the beast ages ago. Instead there are reports that Moscow has provided safe passage for fighters from the Russian Northern Caucasus to join Isis in Syria and Iraq.

There is one thing Russia can do in Syria, however - and it should alarm us all. Just as it did in Kosovo in 1999, it can effectively control - or even veto - air operations by the anti-Isis coalition over Syria.

Moscow has already installed short-range SA-22 Greyhound air defence systems to protect its forces at Bassel al-Assad airfield near Latakia. But if it chose to deploy its long-range air defences along the Syrian coast – for example the SA-21 Growler, known as S-400 in Russia – it could create an air defence “umbrella’ covering an area from Israel in the south well beyond the Turkish airbase of Incirlik in the north. Incirlik is currently used by the US Air Force for operations over Syria and Iraq. Coastal defence batteries, if deployed in Latakia, could target every vessel within 130 km of the Syrian coast.

Creating hard, military facts on the ground is a tried and tested Russian tactic. If we are not careful, Russia will once again exploit our weakness to give itself a powerful bargaining chip in the military and diplomatic battle over the future of Syria.

Solidarity is what glues Europe together. I have seen a lot of cohesion and burden-sharing when the concerns of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have been addressed over the past year or so.

The migration crisis, to which the situation in Syria contributes, has the potential to divide Europeans, but with bold leadership from our politicians it can be avoided. The West needs to stand together on sanctions and not allow Russia to play games with us.

“Being part of the only multinational battalion in UNIFIL enables even smaller nations like Estonia to contribute to international peacekeeping efforts,” Senior National Representative Estonian Detachment FINIRISHBATT, Captain Mario Lementa said.

Almost 20 years ago UN peacekeeping missions to Croatia (1995) and Lebanon (1996) were the first operations abroad for Estonian Defence Forces after the country restored its independence.

“UN peacekeeping missions have played an integral role in building the expeditionary capability of our armed forces. As we currently serve in Lebanon with the platoon-size unit, the 6-50 fits perfectly with the capacity that we have here,” Lementa added.

Estonian platoon is part of Finnish-Irish Battalion A-Company serving in Sector West of UNIFIL Area of Responsibility. With two decades Estonia has contributed to several UN missions and currently has forces in Mali, as well as military observers contributing to United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) Observers Group in Lebanon.

As of end of May this year Estonian peacekeepers have been conducting patrols; trained and patrolled with Lebanese Armed Forces as well as carried out other peacekeeping duties from their main UN Position 2-45 in At Tiri, Southern Lebanon.

Together with staff officers Estonia has approx. 40 troops in Lebanon. From total over 500 force Finland contributes to Finnish-led battalion with around 300 troops and Ireland around 200 troops. Rotating forces in Blue Line UN Positions 6-50 and 6-52 is part of battalion´s routine.

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