Awaiting updates regarding a potential ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, NATO has launched Exercise Hedgehog 25 in Estonia, which will run from May 5 to May 23. It is one of the largest-scale deployments planned for the current year, involving more than 16,000 personnel from the host nation’s armed forces and eleven other allies, under the leadership of Estonian Major Generals Andrus Merilo and Vahur Karus.
According to the official communication, the primary goal of the exercise is to train troops in rapid large-scale deployment operations in Estonia to counter potential invasion attempts, with a focus on the arrival and integration of British and French units—Tallinn’s main regional allies. The event will also serve to develop and evaluate decision-making procedures for unit commanders to enhance the interoperability of participating forces, while also including the training of local reservists.
Reviewing the timeline for Exercise Hedgehog 25, it is structured in six major phases: an initial arrival of allied troops in Estonian territory concluded on May 4, followed by the formation of units between May 5 and 7, and joint training between May 8 and 12 at various locations across the country. Starting tomorrow and running through next Friday, the active field exercise phase will take place in northeastern and southeastern Estonia. From May 17 to 18, units will be repositioned in preparation for live-fire drills, scheduled from May 19 to 23.
Regarding participants, the spotlight will be on Estonian forces, who will deploy assets from all branches of their military. The roster also includes troops from Latvia, Germany, Poland, France, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that Hedgehog 25 is part of NATO’s broader Steadfast Deterrence 25 exercises, led by the Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS). This represents an important opportunity to practice “planning and conducting deterrence and defense operations at the strategic and operational levels,” and also contributes to the preparation of the Estonian Division, which will be assigned to the upcoming multinational exercise Griffin Lightning 25.
*Image credits: @MoD_Estonia on X
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