On May 13, General Martin Herem, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, welcomed Estonia’s President Alar Karis to the Spring Storm exercise today to introduce the head of state to the course and activities of the exercise. Together, they visited various participating units, gaining an overview of their training and tasks during both peacetime and wartime.
“I got an overview of what is happening, and everything works as it should, according to my understanding,” said President Alar Karis. The head of state added that the units must be prepared, and he believes in their readiness to fulfil their tasks – young people go out into the field during Spring Storm to become smarter, stronger, and better in defending Estonia.
During his visit to the exercise Spring Storm, which has reached its active combat phase, the President, along with the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, visited the exercise headquarters and several units near Pärnu. 1st Infantry Brigade’s units were also visited, as well as the 25th Artillery Battalion positioned in Kilingi-Nõmme and the allied pre-positioned battle group unit in the Abja-Paluoja area.
Speaking about the importance of Spring Storm, President Karis noted that the exercise is significant not only for Estonia, but also for our allied forces, who contribute to our defence and are well represented in the exercise – together, they are ready to learn and cooperate.
The Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces gave a high rating to the overall readiness of the soldiers and reservists participating in the exercise for the upcoming key training battles. “We can certainly be satisfied with the level at which the headquarters and the division can conduct the exercise. Three relatively different operations are taking place simultaneously – defensive battles, rear area protection operations, and coastal defence, all involving different branches of the armed forces and allies. This undoubtedly indicates the high level of our military personnel. Although the exercises are just beginning their more intensive phase, it seems that conscripts have learned their specialties over the past year, and reservists have not forgotten their professional skills over the years,” said General Matin Herem, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces.
According to the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, it is essential to acknowledge the local residents who support and understand the exercises. “Overall, I want to emphasize that such exercises are extremely necessary for the training of Estonian Defence Forces units and for practicing cooperation with allies. By limiting ourselves to exercises only in Defence Forces’ training areas, we would never understand the scale and complexity of our activities,” said General Herem.
The Spring Storm exercise involves units from the army, air force and navy, including the Division Headquarters, the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades, the Support Command, the Cyber Command, and other units of the Estonian Defence Forces and the Estonian Defence League. Participants include NATO Battlegroup’s members serving in Estonia as well as military personnel from allied and partner countries. In total, approximately 14,000 soldiers are participating in the exercise.
Spring Storm is the largest annual exercise of the Estonian Defence Forces, during which military operations planning and execution are practiced, as well as enhanced cooperation between Estonian and allied units. The exercise involves active-duty military personnel, conscripts, reservists, members of the Estonian Defence League, and participants from allied nations.
Spring Storm 2024 is part of the NATO exercise series Steadfast Defender 2024, representing a significant component of this extensive NATO exercise. Steadfast Defender 2024 is the largest NATO exercise in decades, with nearly 90,000 participants from all 32 member states participating over a six-month period from January to July 2024. The broader framework for the exercise has been set by confirmed NATO regional defence plans.
