The two-week multinational Exercise PIKNE is underway in Estonia with the aim of practising the rapid deployment of Allied units.
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Press Release, Tallinn, 18 September 2025: On Thursday, September 18, a two-week multinational exercise called PIKNE (LIGHTNING) will begin in Estonia. The aim of the exercise is to practice the rapid deployment of Allied units to Estonian territory and the repulsion of a potential enemy as a multinational force. The exercise will be led by the Estonian Defence Forces Division, and in addition to units from the Estonian Defence Forces and the Estonian Defence League, Allied units from France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Latvia, and Canada will also participate.
“The aim of the PIKNE exercise is to practice the rapid deployment of Allies to Estonia and, together with our units, the military defence of the country. We will test the readiness and interoperability of units from Estonia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Latvia, and Canada,” said Colonel Janno Märk, exercise PIKNE director and Chief of Staff of the Estonian Division. “The exercise will involve both offensive and defensive activities, including air and sea landings, where, for example, French paratroopers will carry out a rapid deployment to Estonia from the air and US Marines will conduct a sea landing. The final phase will also include live-fire exercises in Nursipalu and Rutja. Overall, the exercise demonstrates the high level of readiness of our Allies to defend Estonia,” added Colonel Märk.
The main activities of the exercise, which will take place from September 18 to October 2, will be carried out by land, sea, and air forces, mainly in western, northeastern, northern, and southeastern Estonia. The first week of the exercise will focus on unit deployment and combat training, while the second week will feature live-fire exercises by Estonian and Allied units at the Nursipalu training area and Rutja.
The PIKNE exercise is a defensive exercise that combines the activities of Allied forces in the air, on land, and at sea. Noise-making simulation devices, such as blank cartridges, will be used during the exercises. A total of approximately 3,000 defence force personnel from Estonia and Allied countries will participate in the PIKNE exercise.
During the two-week exercise, there will be more defence force convoys and Allied unit equipment than usual on the roads in western, northeastern, northern, and southeastern Estonia, which is why the Estonian Defence Forces are emphasizing the need for increased caution in traffic and asking fellow road users for their patience and understanding.
NATO multinational battle groups are stationed in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Currently, the United Kingdom, France, and Iceland are contributing to Estonia’s defence as part of the Allied enhanced Forward Presence.
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Editor’s Comment: On Friday 19 September the Russian Federation, which has been undertaking the offensive in nature – rather than defensive – Exercise ZAPAD 2025 in Belarus, violated Estonian airspace with MiG-31 fighters and (coincidentally?) overnight on Friday/Saturday the civilian aviation hub serving NATO Headquarters – Brussels Airport – was targetted in a malicious cyber attack. Bearing in mind how in early 2022 the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine after building up troop numbers in Belarus for ZAPAD 2021, it is perhaps unsurprising that Estonia and her Baltic Region neighbours are practising defending their country with the assistance of their Allies.
