Estonia’s biggest defense exercise Spring Storm starts

Estonia’s largest defense training exercise Spring Storm (Kevadtorm) started on Monday and will last until May 26. Approximately, 14,000 personnel will take part.

Army, Air Force, Navy and Defense League units, conscripts and reservists take part in the annual exercise, totaling around 9,000 personnel. Around half are reservists.

The rest are made up of Estonia’s UK-led NATO battlegroup and personnel from 11 allied NATO countries.

“In order to defend Estonia, it is very important for us to know our homeland, and this is exactly what we will be practicing together with our allies during the exercise,” said Lt. Col. Feliks Roodvee, the planning officer responsible for Spring Storm 2023.

“Today, the units started forming up and will then move into the field. Expectations for the exercise are high, and we have all the conditions in place to meet the objectives of Spring Storm.”

For the first time, the exercise is led by the division created last year.

The Defense Forces (EDF) will check the synchronization of battle plans, cooperation between command levels, and the readiness of units to perform combat tasks.

Activities will mainly take place in North Estonia and during this time there will be more defense equipment and convoys on the road than usual.

Additionally, allied military aircraft will be more active in the skies above Estonia, especially Ämari, Tallinn and Lääne and Ida-Viru counties.

Various equipment, including explosive rounds, training grenades and flares, will be used in the exercises and this will create extra noise. The EDF suggests parents explain what is happening to children and keep animals scared of noise indoors if possible.

“We spend a lot of time outside the training areas of the Defence Forces. This time, our most visible footprint and activities are those in Northern Estonia. Where we are trying to defend Estonia both on land and at sea,” Maj. Gen.Veiko-Vello Palm told Monday’s “Aktuaalne kaamera.”/err.ee/