Estonia to head Baltic battalion in NATO training exercises

Over 500 members of the Estonian Scouts Battalion will head to Spain for a NATO Response Force (NRF) training exercise.

Participating in the NRF exercise Trident Juncture in Spain will be a Baltic battalion, which is made up of the militaries from all three Baltic states.

The Scouts Battalion will make up its core. 

According to Simo Saar, a press officer for the Lithuanian MOD, the Battalion is sending two mechanized infantry companies, a combat support company, and a staff and support unit. 

Latvia and Lithuania are sending one infantry company each.

Estonian troops make up roughly a half of the more than 1,000-strong Baltic battalion.

"Trident Juncture gives Estonia an opportunity to practice commanding an international battalion and strengthening Baltic defence cooperation," Saar said.

The troops will arrive in Zaragoza for the exercise, which will be held at the San Gregorio training center on October 19, 2015. 

They will return to Estonia on Nov. 8.

The exercise will bring together more than 35,000 participants from NATO member states and partner countries such as Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Macedonia, Sweden and Ukraine.

Members from several large international organisations such as the European Union, the African Union, OSCE and the Red Cross, will also be present. 

Trident Juncture is the biggest NATO exercise since Strong Resolve in 2002.

Getting the equipment, vehicles and personnel of the Baltic battalion to Spain is also the largest ever logictics operation of the Estonian defense forces. 

Friday October 9 saw around 250 machines and over 70 containers of equipment loaded onto a ship at Paldiski North Harbor. 

Estonia's equipment is made up of 150 machines including 37 armored personnel carriers and 40 containers.

"Moving a battalion-size unit is for us the largest transport operation ever for which a ship and six flights have been chartered. 

"A similar amount of transport will be needed for the return trip," said Lieutentant Toomas Parnpuu, who is in charge of the logistics.