Exercise Decisive Lancer tests Defence League’s Regional Commands’ procedures and activities in defending Estonian territory

“In last year’s exercise, we focused on activities taking place after a military conflict has emerged. This year our main effort is on the time period and activities preceding a full scale conflict – practicing comprehensive national defence in cooperation with other national authorities, focusing on the preparation of military defence,” said colonel Mati Tikerpuu, chief of Exercise Control.

Estonian Defence League’s Regional Commands’ command posts, Estonian Defence Forces units, allied units in Estonia and different Estonian national authorities are participating in the exercise, involving close to 300 people.

“These exercises prepare us to act properly during a possible crisis situation. If the commanders and command posts have trained for possible crisis- and wartime scenarios, then the decisions in the real situation will be faster, use of resources will be better, more lives will be spared and more losses will be inflicted upon the adversary,” said colonel Tikerpuu.

EDL Regional Commands’ command posts play a key role in coordinating the activities of different national authorities on a local level. The units were for the first time the main training audience on a similar command post exercise last year, on exercise Decisive Lancer 2020.