US and NATO military bases in Estonia
Map of locations of US and NATO military bases in Estonia
Estonia: Tallinn (advanced command and staff cell of NATO); n. p. Tapa (multinational battalion of NATO, 987 people; unit of the rotating armored brigade of the US armed forces); AVB "Emari" (aviation in the framework of the NATO mission to patrol the airspace in the Baltic region – 4 German air force fighters).
According to official NATO data, a multinational battalion under the control of the UK is located at a military base in Tapa, which is located 100 kilometers from the border with Russia. The group includes a British armoured infantry battalion with more than 20 tanks and 80 combat vehicles, self-propelled self-propelled guns, and a Danish infantry unit. There are about 900 military personnel in total. In the very near future, about 200 Estonian APCS should be added to them, and on April 23, a unit of 300 soldiers, 5 tanks and a couple of dozen combat vehicles of the French armed forces will arrive. The French must replace the Belgian military personnel, who now have more than 30 combat vehicles.
Updated Google satellite images show that the military base has about two hundred pieces of heavy equipment on various sites, and three new modular hangars have been installed. In addition, the base can be seen barracks, warehouses and runway.
The airfield in Emari, where NATO aviation is located, is almost empty. The images show one helicopter and several hangars. There's also a new runway that the Pentagon paid for. Last year, five German warplanes were stationed at the air base, and just a few days ago, five British air force Apache attack helicopters landed here.
New NATO infrastructure facility opened in Estonia
05 / 07 / 2020
On 1 July, a new NATO-funded infrastructure facility was commissioned at Tapa in Estonia that can receive and facilitate the forward movement of NATO forces, including the Joint very high readiness task force (VJTF), and will be used for exercises and equipment training. Most of the 20 million Euro project was funded under the NATO security investment Program (NSIP).
The new center includes barracks for troops, storage facilities for equipment and vehicles, a medical center and a helicopter pad. This facility will serve as a ready-to-use field camp for short-term exercises and deployments. This will help ensure the flexibility and rapid movement of NATO forces throughout the Baltic States.
"The Tapa project demonstrates burden sharing in action. This is also an example of how the allies are fulfilling the commitments they made at the Wales summit in 2014 and at the Warsaw summit in 2016 to improve NATO's ability to quickly and effectively strengthen its Eastern allies, " said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
This is just one of more than 200 projects launched by NATO allies to implement the readiness action Plan. Through joint funding, infrastructure is being built in eight NATO countries to support the preparation of military supplies, as well as the reception, organization and training of personnel.
Spring Storm exercise launched in Estonia
25 / 04 / 2020
On April 25, NATO allied forces launched live fire exercises in Estonia as part of the annual Spring storm exercise, which will last until may 8.
The exercise is aimed at testing the interaction between NATO troops and the Estonian defense forces (EDF). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's exercises are reduced, with about 3,200 military personnel participating, compared to 9,000 last year.
"Despite the difficult situation, the training goals that have been practiced for a year must be achieved, but at the same time the impact on civil society must be reduced," said major General Martin Herem, EDF commander. In order to avoid contact with the civilian population, the training is conducted exclusively on the territory Of the Central EDS training area, and the reserve troops will not participate in this. The exercise involves active EDF military personnel, recruits and about 1,000 troops assigned to the NATO multinational combat team in Tapa, Estonia. The battle group is led by the United Kingdom and includes forces from Denmark.
"Spring storm" is aimed at testing the readiness of NATO forces in response to a fictional crisis. This year, it provides an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the Alliance in the difficult conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The "spring storm" shows how NATO forces can continue to test their readiness while taking the necessary measures to protect their own health and that of others. Our forces remain ready, alert and ready to respond to any threat, " said NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu.
The exercise itself is divided into two main stages. On April 25-30, a field exercise will take place, in which EDF units and the NATO battle group will increase their readiness. From 1 to 8 may, the training ground will host live firing exercises, where infantry and combat support units will be trained to cooperate.
Using Estonia's infrastructure in the interests of NATO and the United States
Priority is given to the development of a military camp in the Tapa region (Estonia), where since 2017 on a rotational basis
NATO's multinational battalion tactical teams are deployed. Active work is underway to increase the capacity
the barracks Fund and its equipment with training classes with simulators, storage and weapons rooms.
In addition, new hangars, deep and reinforced storage facilities, and repair facilities are being built on the territory of training grounds workshops, transport infrastructure, training complexes. This upgrade extends the spectrum tasks being worked out and the increase in the number of NATO forces involved.
At present, work is being completed at Emari air base (Estonia) to prepare the infrastructure for reception and deployment fifth-generation multi-purpose fighters, bombers, and NATO transport aircraft. They are being put into service modern three-coordinate radar stations of American production, means of radio engineering and navigation support for flights.
In Estonia, monitoring of the air situation is assigned to the forces and means of the air force, which are organizationally consolidated into radio engineering battalion (Emari air base). In total, at least 15 rlps monitor the air situation. To combat
mobile radar surveillance systems with the French medium range air defense radar are on duty "Ground Master-403".
Steps are being worked out to deploy American patriot PAC-3 SAM batteries on the territory of the Baltic States.
As part of the unit's operation to patrol the Baltic air space a combat base is based at Emari air base aviation of NATO countries (up to ten tactical fighters).
The Emari base was equipped with an automatic precision landing system for aircraft, hangars, and aircraft repair facilities workshops, weapons depots, fuel storage areas, liquid oxygen and nitrogen.
The daily capacity of the air base's cargo terminal is up to 2 thousand people and 1 thousand tons of cargo. Should it should be noted that in the future it is planned to expand the ongoing operation "Baltic air policing" with the provision of the right deployment of air force contingents of the bloc's member States to the zoknai and Emari air bases on a long-term basis.
The NATO leadership is actively using the capital's civil airport Tallinn for the transfer of military formations.
For receiving large-capacity vessels, ensuring rapid unloading of troops and their subsequent transportation to the areas of concentration berthing facilities are being upgraded in Paldiski, Tallinn (Estonia).
The main civil infrastructure project of the Baltic States is the construction of a high-speed railway rail Baltika with a European-wide track on the route Warsaw-Kaunas-Riga-Tallinn. In military terms the new road will improve the efficiency and ease of maneuvering of NATO forces along a potential front line, in particular which is assumed to be the Russian border. According to the plan, the speed of traffic on the "rail Baltika" highway it will be up to 120-160 km/h at the initial stage and up to 250 km / h at the end of all works.
Military exercises in Estonia in 2020
Military personnel of the Republic's Defense Forces, together with the US military, conducted the "Rail Gunner Rush" exercise from September 1 to 10 at the central training ground in Tapa. They were attended by soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 6th Regiment, 41st Field Artillery Brigade of the US Army and the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Estonian Defense Forces. During the maneuvers, live firing from MLRS multiple launch rocket systems was carried out. Given that the exercises were held in the immediate vicinity from the Russian borders-only 110 km away, the use of these systems looks extremely provocative and dangerous for regional stability.
NATO exercises "Ramstein Alley" were held on September 21-22 in the airspace of the Baltic States. According to the report, more than 20 aircraft took part in them, including German and Italian aircraft stationed at the air bases in Emari and Siauliai
tactical fighters, as well as crews from the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Finland and Sweden. In addition, an E-3 long-range early detection and control aircraft of the Avax system was located in the Baltic airspace. "Ramstein Alley" is held three times a year. This time, the Estonian Air Force played a leading role in them. During the maneuvers, communication and control procedures were practiced, as well as exercises to ensure air safety, the report says. Simultaneously with these exercises, the joint Baltic "Ramstein Guard" took place, within the framework of which the interaction of air surveillance systems in the conditions of electronic warfare in wartime was worked out.