NordenBladet —
After a few days journey from the Sennelager exercise area in northern Germany, a military convoy with six Challenger Main battle tanks and other armoured vehicles from the UK military’s Royal Welsh Regiment arrived in Tapa today, marking the beginning of the arrival of the Royal Welsh to Estonia.
“The integration of Allied units into our defence is not a threat to Russia mentioned by Putin or a violation of his security interests. This is the West’s reaction to the aggressive behaviour of the Russian Federation,” said Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Lieutenant General Martin Herem.
Over the next few days, over 900 soldiers from the Royal Welsh will be deployed to Estonia, as well as additional vehicles and equipment for the battlegroup. When all the elements have arrived, the Royal Welsh will replace the Royal Tank Regiment as the leading element in the NATO Battlegroup in Tapa and will be integrated into the 1st Brigade of the Estonian Defence Forces.
“Sending an additional Allied unit at a difficult time shows that we can count on our allies even in the most difficult times. Delegation of these units under Estonian command shows confidence and trust in our Defence Forces,” said Lieutenant General Herem.
The Royal Tank Regiment will stay in Tapa over the next few months and will be working closely with the EDF brigades.
“After careful consideration with our Estonian partners, we made the decision to significantly strengthen our military presence in Estonia for the time being,” says Colonel Dai Bevan, Commander of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence in Estonia. “The UK is certainly not the only Allied nation to bolster its presence in the Baltic region in order to increase deterrence against any hostile activity. But it is important to remember that these reinforcements are purely defensive in nature, and they demonstrate our enduring commitment to the security of Estonia and other states in this region.”
“The commitment of an additional regiment to the NATO Battle Group will allow us to expand our cooperation and involve the 2nd Infantry Brigade more closely in cooperation with the Allied units,” said Lieutenant General Herem.
At the Warsaw Summit in June 2016, the leaders of NATO’s 28 members decided to deploy NATO battlegroups to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland due to the changed security environment. The leading country of the NATO Battlegroup in Estonia is the United Kingdom, with France and Denmark as contributing countries. The first battle group arrived in Tapa in April 2017.
Source: Estonian Defence Forces