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The commander of the Estonian defense forces, Gen. Martin Herem, welcomed President Alar Karis at the large-scale military training exercise Kevadtorm (Spring Storm) on Monday.
Estonian president at Kevadtorm: Everything works as it should
The purpose of the visit was to show the head of state the activities of the ongoing exercise and to jointly visit the various units participating in the maneuvers, spokespeople for the defense headquarters in Tallinn said.
«I got an overview of what is happening and everything works as it should, as I understand it,» the president was quoted as saying.
During the visit to the exercise, which has entered the stage of combat maneuvers, the president, together with the chief of defense, visited the command headquarters of the exercise and its sub-headquarters near Parnu, the main command post of the 1st Infantry Brigade in the field, as well as the 25th Artillery Battalion near Kilingi-Nomme and the pre-positioned allied battlegroup near Abja-Paluoja.
Speaking about the importance of Kevadtorm, the president noted that the exercise is important not only for Estonia, but also for allied forces, who contribute to Estonia's defense and who are represented in the exercise in large numbers.
The chief of defense, Gen. Martin Herem, greatly appreciated the overall readiness of the soldiers and reservists participating in the exercise for the upcoming main mock combat action.
«Definitely, one can be satisfied with the level at which the headquarters and the division are able to conduct the exercise. Three relatively diverse operations are going on simultaneously -- defensive battles, rear area defense, and coastal defense, all with the participation of different branches of the military and allies. This undoubtedly indicates the high level of competence of our defense personnel. Although the exercise is still in the early stages of the intensive phase, it seems that conscripts have mastered their specialties over the past year, and reservists have not forgotten their specialist skills during the years that have passed,» Herem said.
The chief of defense said that the local population, who are supportive and understanding of the training exercise, certainly deserve praise.
«To sum up, I would like to emphasize that such exercises are extremely necessary for us for the training of units of the Estonian defense forces and for practicing cooperation with allies. If we were to limit ourselves to exercises in the training areas of the defense forces, we would never be able to understand the scale and complexity of our activities,» the general said.
Kevadtorm involves units from the Army, the Air Force, and Navy. Participants include the Division Headquarters, 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades, Support Command, Cyber Command, and other units of the defense forces and the Kaitseliit (Defense League) volunteer corps. The exercise includes the NATO battlegroups serving in Estonia and military personnel from allied and partner countries who have arrived for the exercise. In total, approximately 14,000 uniformed personnel are taking part.
The exercise is the largest annual exercise of the Estonian defense forces, during which military operations planning and execution are practiced, as well as enhanced cooperation between Estonian and allied units. The exercise involves active-duty military personnel, conscripts, reservists, Kaitseliit volunteers and personnel from allied nations.
Kevadtorm 2024 is part of the NATO exercise series Steadfast Defender 2024, representing a significant component of this extensive NATO exercise. Steadfast Defender 2024 is the largest NATO exercise in decades, with nearly 90,000 participants from all 32 member states participating over a six-month period from January to July 2024. The broader framework for the exercise has been set by confirmed NATO regional defence plans.