From May 5 to 23, the large -scale exercises of “SIL 2025” (“Hedgehog”) will be held in Estonia, in which over 16 thousand military personnel and reservists will take part, the ERR portal reports.
It is reported that the main goal of the exercises is to verify the national defense forces, the interaction of regional units and the development of rapid response in crisis conditions.
The exercises cover the entire territory of the country, special attention is paid to the North-East Defense District and the 1st Infantry Brigade.
In addition to the regular army, reservists, cadets, police, rescuers and representatives of the Estonia Defense Union (Kaitseliit) will be involved in the script.
As the commander of the transport support service, Major Thomas Pyarnpuu, “Siil 2025” allows us to evaluate the stability of command, logistics and the ability to protect the infrastructure in the event of an external threat.
NATO allied forces will also take part in maneuvers.
The arrival of more than 1,500 military personnel from the UK, France, Denmark and other countries is expected.
However, Estonia is the main emphasis on the integration of its own backup and mobilization resources.
At the moment, during the deployment operation, which takes place from April 14 to 30, the armed forces of the UK and France are transferred to Estonia a large amount of personnel and military equipment.
Siil exercises have been held since the 2010s once every 3-4 years and are part of a long-term strategy to strengthen national defense.
Earlier, the exercises took place in 2022 and covered about 15 thousand participants.
After the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Estonia strengthened both the defense budget (more than 3% of GDP) and the frequency of military training.
“Siil 2025” coincide in time with similar exercises in Latvia and Lithuania, as well as with the large -scale campaign of NATO “Steadfast Defender”, which allows regional coordination.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Estonia, the exercises are not directed against any state, but are a “clear signal of the country’s readiness for defense.”