800 British troops due to be stationed in the Baltic state as part of one of biggest deployments to eastern Europe in decades

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

British troops have arrived in Estonia as part of a major Nato mission in the Baltic states to deter Russian aggression.

Around 120 soldiers from the 5th Battalion The Rifles landed at the Amari airbase on Friday, 25 miles south-west of the capital, Tallinn.

They were welcomed by Estonia’s defence minister, Margus Tsahkna, on their arrival from RAF Brize Norton. Eight hundred British troops are due to be stationed in the country as part of one of the biggest deployments to eastern Europe in decades.

The first batch will set up a UK headquarters in the country before the rest arrive next month. They will work alongside French and Danish forces to “provide a proportionate, defensive and combat-capable force to defend our Nato ally and deter any form of hostile activity against the alliance”, the Ministry of Defence said.

Britain is taking a leading role in the Estonia battlegroup, while other nations are deploying troops to Latvia, Lithuania and Poland as part of Nato’s Enhanced Forward Presence battalion.

Around 300 UK vehicles have also left the UK this week by ferry headed for Estonia, including Challenger 2 tanks, Warrior infantry fighting vehicles and AS90 self-propelled artillery pieces.



Britain and Estonia have a long history of defence cooperation.

In November 1918 a Royal Navy squadron was deployed to the region to support the independence of the Baltic states.

The defence secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, said: “In the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, Nato is stepping up its commitment to collective defence.

“British troops will play a leading role in Estonia and support our US allies in Poland, as part of wider efforts to defend Nato. Our rising defence budget means we can support those deployments in the long-term and strengthen our commitment to European security.”

Lt Col Mark Wilson, commanding officer of 5th Battalion The Rifles, said: “The UK and Estonia have a long and proud history of serving together, including in Afghanistan, so it is an honour to lead 5 Rifles on this deployment as part of Nato’s enhanced Forward Presence.

“My soldiers are looking forward to again be working, training and exercising alongside their Estonian counterparts.”</s>British troops have arrived in Estonia as part of a major Nato mission in the Baltic states to deter Russian aggression.

Around 120 soldiers from 5 Rifles landed at the Amari airbase on Friday, south-west of the capital Tallinn.

There will eventually be 800 British troops stationed in the country as part of one of the biggest deployments to Eastern Europe in decades.

The first troops deployed will set up a UK headquarters in the country before the rest arrive next month.

UK troops will work alongside French and Danish forces to "provide a proportionate, defensive, and combat capable force to defend our Nato ally and deter any form of hostile activity against the Alliance", the Ministry of Defence said.</s>British soldiers have arrived in Estonia to serve as part of the NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence on the Russian borders.

They are the first batch to arrive as part of “wider efforts to defend the alliance” from the alleged threat from Moscow.

More British troops will be deployed in the coming weeks

RT reports: Some 130 soldiers from 5 Rifles RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire landed at the Amari airbase near Tallinn on Friday night where they were welcomed by the UK’s Ambassador Bubbear Theresa and the 1st Infantry Brigade commander of Estonian forces Colonel Veiko-Vello Palm.

They will now link-up with some 80 British servicemen who were sent in advance to prepare the facilities for the arrival of the soldiers. In the coming weeks, additional British troops will be dispatched.

A French contingent is also due, accompanied by tanks, reconnaissance drones and infantry fighting vehicles to form a 1,200-strong detachment. The NATO battle group in Estonia will be stationed at Tapa.

The UK will contribute the bulk of multinational force in Estonia, sending in a total of 800 soldiers. France will post 300 soldiers to Estonia — to be replaced by the Danes in 2018. All troops will act in conjunction with Estonia’s 1st Infantry Brigade.

NATO’s forces in Estonia are just one of four multinational battalion-size battle groups which the alliance started positioning earlier this year in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland on a rotational basis.

The “defensive” measures were agreed during the NATO-Warsaw summit in July. These units — led by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and the United States, along with their military hardware — are NATO’s biggest deployment of troops along Russian borders since the end of the Cold War.

The battalions are set to become fully operational by June.

The deployment is designed to counter an “increasingly assertive Russia,” UK’s Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon said on the troops’ departure. “NATO is stepping up its commitment to collective defense,” Fallon said, according to Sky news.

“British troops will play a leading role in Estonia and support our US allies in Poland, as part of wider efforts to defend NATO.”

Besides stretching its reach into Eastern Europe, NATO is also beefing up its presence in the Black Sea region — on land, at sea, and in the air with several countries already contributing their forces and expertise.

“We agreed on two additional maritime measures: an increased NATO naval presence in the Black Sea for enhanced training, exercises and situational awareness, and a maritime coordination function for our Standing Naval Forces when operating with other allied forces in the Black Sea region,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced last month.

Just Friday, four NATO warships sailed into the Port of Odessa, according to the Ukrainian Navy.

Despite not being a member of NATO, Ukraine will host the ships right on Russia’s doorstep until April 20.

Moscow has over the years, repeatedly warned against the threat of NATO’s eastward expansion.

Apart from NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence and the Black Sea buildup, Russia has also been vocal about last year’s launch of a new ground-based missile defense system in Romania known as Aegis Ashore.

Another part of the system, which will see a missile launch platform in Poland, is expected to be operational by 2018.</s>British troops have arrived in Estonia as part of a major Nato mission in the Baltic states to deter Russian aggression.

Around 120 soldiers from 5 Rifles landed at the Amari airbase on Friday, south-west of the capital Tallinn.

There will eventually be 800 British troops stationed in the country as part of one of the biggest deployments to Eastern Europe in decades.

The first troops deployed will set up a UK headquarters in the country before the rest arrive next month.

UK troops will work alongside French and Danish forces to "provide a proportionate, defensive, and combat capable force to defend our Nato ally and deter any form of hostile activity against the Alliance", the Ministry of Defence said.

Britain is taking a leading role in the Estonia Battlegroup, while other nations are deploying troops to Latvia, Lithuania and Poland as part of Nato's Enhanced Forward Presence battalion.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said "Nato is stepping up its commitment to collective defence".

"British troops will play a leading role in Estonia and support our US allies in Poland, as part of wider efforts to defend Nato.

Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wilson, Commanding Officer of 5th Battalion The Rifles, said: "The UK and Estonia have a long and proud history of serving together, including in Afghanistan, so it is an honour to lead 5 RIFLES on this deployment as part of Nato's enhanced Forward Presence.

"My soldiers are looking forward to again be working, training and exercising alongside their Estonian counterparts."

Around 300 UK vehicles were also transported from the UK this week by ferry headed for Estonia, including Challenger 2 tanks, Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, and AS90 self-propelled artillery pieces.</s>The first of what will ultimately be a deployment of 800 British ground troops, with Challenger 2 tanks and armored vehicles, arrived today in Estonia to join the ever-growing NATO deployment of a “spearhead force” into the Baltic states to “deter” Russia.

This deployment has its origin in the escalation of deployments into Eastern Europe by NATO to nominally prepare for a Russian invasion. Each of the Baltic States is to get around 1,000 troops, with the US, Britain, Germany, and Canada each taking the lead of each groups.

Of course, the idea that Russia is about to invade Eastern Europe, something US officials were pushing a couple of years ago, has long since lost any credibility it once had. Instead, the deployments have been pushed as a way to show Western support for the smaller Baltic members of NATO, though it is fueling considerable additional tension with Russia for the entire alliance.

British officials say that this new deployment, which will be fully in place by April, will be the largest British deployment in Europe since the end of the Cold War. In addition to the 800 troops in Estonia, another 150 British troops are to be put elsewhere in the Baltics under different commands.
• Some in Pentagon Fear ISIS War Surge Is 'Mission Creep' - March 17th, 2017</s>The first of 800 British troops have arrived in Estonia to bolster NATO defences in the Baltic region.

Today the Ministry of Defence released a picture of the assorted tanks and armoured vehicles from 20 Armoured Infantry Brigade arriving in the port of Emden, Germany.

The military hardware will be loaded and transported to Estonia in preparation for the 5th Battalion The Rifles to take part in Operation Cabrit .

The 120 soldiers from the 5th Battalion The Rifles will set up a UK headquarters in the country before the remaining troops arrive in April.

They are joined by members of the Royal Logistics Corps, Royal Artillery and Royal Millitary Police.

The major Nato mission is to deter Russian aggression.

Tensions between Estonia and Russia increased as a result of the Ukraine conflict, which resulted in the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014.</s>The first batch ofhas arrived in Estonia to serve as part of theand part of "wider efforts to defend the alliance" from the perceived threat from Moscow.in Oxfordshire landed at the Amari airbase near Tallinn on Friday night where they were welcomed by the UK's Ambassador Bubbear Theresa and the 1st Infantry Brigade commander of Estonian forces Colonel Veiko-Vello Palm. They will now link-up with some 80 British servicemen who were sent in advance to prepare the facilities for the arrival of the soldiers.The UK will contribute the bulk of multinational force in Estonia, sending in a total of 800 soldiers. France will post 300 soldiers to Estonia — to be replaced by the Danes in 2018. All troops will act in conjunction with Estonia's 1st Infantry Brigade.on a rotational basis. The "defensive" measures were agreed during the NATO-Warsaw summit in July.These units — led by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and the United States, along with their military hardware — are NATO's biggest deployment of troops along Russian borders since the end of the Cold War. The battalions are set to becomeThe deployment is designed toUK's Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon said on the troops' departure. "NATO is stepping up its commitment to collective defense," Fallon said, according to Sky news. "British troops will play a leading role in Estonia and support our US allies in Poland, as part of wider efforts to defend NATO."Besides stretching its reach into Eastern Europe, NATO is also beefing up its presence in the Black Sea region — on land, at sea, and in the air with several countries already contributing their forces and expertise."We agreed on two additional maritime measures: anfor enhanced training, exercises and situational awareness, and a maritime coordination function for our Standing Naval Forces when operating with other allied forces in the Black Sea region," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced last month.Just Friday,sailed into the Port of Odessa, according to the Ukrainian Navy.Apart from NATO's enhanced Forward Presence and the Black Sea buildup, Russia has also been vocal aboutAnother part of the system, which will see ais expected to be operational by 2018.In latest remarks, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused NATO in February of posing a threat to global security by trying to provoke a conflict with Moscow through its "newly-declared official mission to deter Russia."</s>The first British troops have arrived in Estonia as part of NATO’s response to Russian aggression.

The 120 soldiers from 5 Rifles left RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and landed at Amari airbase southwest of Tallinn on Friday night.

They will set up an HQ in the country before the remaining troops arrive next month.

There will be 800 British troops in total, backed up by a smaller French force.

Three hundred vehicles, including Challenger tanks and Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, are also en route for eastern Europe.

The Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, said this deployment was to counter an increasingly assertive Russia.

NATO is stepping up its commitment to collective defence, he said.

British troops will play a leading role in Estonia and support our US allies in Poland, as part of wider efforts to defend NATO.

The troops have been warned before travelling to be careful of any Russian attempts to discredit their presence in Latvia.

There are worries that phones might be tapped.

The Ministry of Defence has also been embarrassed by revelations that British soldiers posted in Estonia were provided with a guidebook that included locations of the best strip clubs.

The UK is taking the lead in Estonia and will be backed up by French troops this year, and Danish partners in 2018.

The United States has deployed soldiers to Poland, Germany is sending troops to Lithuania and Canada is taking the lead in Latvia.

The Commanding Officer of 5 Rifles, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wilson, said: The UK and Estonia have a long and proud history of serving together, including in Afghanistan, so it is an honour to lead 5 Rifles on this deployment as part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence.

My soldiers are looking forward to again be working, training and exercising alongside their Estonian counterparts.

(c) Sky News 2017: UK troops in Estonia to counter ‘increasingly assertive Russia’</s>Soldiers from the 5th Battalion The Rifles Battlegroup (5 RIFLES), including members of an Armoured Engineer Squadron, Military Police Detachment, Artillery Group and Port Task Group, arrived at Amari airbase last night.

They were welcomed by Estonia’s Defence Minister Margus Tsahkna, having flown from RAF Brize Norton by Voyager aircraft.

The 120 soldiers are fundamental to setting up a UK headquarters in the country before the rest of the UK deployment arrives next month, increasing the total number of troops in Estonia to around 800.

The UK is taking a leading role in NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence, alongside several other contributing nations. The deployments are designed to assure NATO allies of the mutual commitment to collective European security.

Working alongside the UK forces this year will be French personnel, and from next year, Danish partners. All are there at the request of the Estonian Government. The Battlegroup will provide a proportionate, defensive, and combat capable force to defend our NATO ally and deter any form of hostile activity against the Alliance.

The UK-led Estonia Battlegroup is one of four NATO multinational deployments to the eastern part of the Alliance. Other nations are deploying to Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, the last of which will include 150 UK personnel, on a persistent, rotational basis.

In the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, NATO is stepping up its commitment to collective defence. British troops will play a leading role in Estonia and support our US allies in Poland, as part of wider efforts to defend NATO. Our rising defence budget means we can support those deployments in the long-term and strengthen our commitment to European security.

The UK and Estonia have a long and proud history of serving together, including in Afghanistan, so it is an honour to lead 5 RIFLES on this deployment as part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence. My soldiers are looking forward to again be working, training and exercising alongside their Estonian counterparts.

This week, around 300 UK vehicles have also departed to Estonia, including Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, Challenger 2 tanks and AS90 self-propelled artillery pieces. These vehicles, loaded onto a Roll-On-Roll-Off ferry, are currently on their way and set to arrive towards the middle of next week. French armoured vehicles, including tanks, are also due to arrive in Estonia via train after being loaded yesterday.</s>Hundreds of British troops and tanks are on their way to an EU border with Russia in the biggest show of force against Moscow since the Cold War.

An advance guard of some 120 troops touched down last night at an air base in Estonia, a country which borders Russia and sees Moscow as a threat to the West.

Three hundred vehicles will arrive by next week, including Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, Challenger 2 tanks and AS90 artillery weapons.

More troops will follow, bringing the UK total to around 800 by next month – all there at Estonia’s request – as part of a major Nato deployment to Eastern Europe.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said the move was about ‘standing up to Russian aggression’.

He said: ‘In the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, Nato is stepping up its commitment to collective defence.

‘The arrival of 120 British troops this weekend marks the start of our largest ever deployment to Eastern Europe.

‘By the end of next month, we will have 800 British troops, with armour, with tanks, ready to help reassure our allies and to underline our commitment to the security of Europe.

‘And this isn’t just about the Baltic states, this is about NATO, this is about NATO standing up to Russian aggression and being ready to defend and deter.’

He added: ‘British troops will play a leading role in Estonia and support our US allies in Poland, as part of wider efforts to defend NATO.

‘Our rising defence budget means we can support those deployments in the long-term and strengthen our commitment to European security.’

Commanding Officer of 5 Rifles Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wilson added: ‘The UK and Estonia have a long and proud history of serving together, including in Afghanistan, so it is an honour to lead 5 RIFLES on this deployment as a part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence.

'My soldiers are looking forward to again be working, training and exercising alongside their Estonian counterparts.’

The UK is taking a leading role alongside other nations in Nato’s Enhanced Forward Presence designed to respond quickly to any threat from Russia.

Some 150 British personnel are also deploying to Poland.
Eight hundred British Army troops arrive in Estonia as part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.