The second combat day of Exercise KEVADTORM (SPRING STORM) 2023 in Estonia is drawing to a conclusion with Orange Forces on top, reports Bob Morrison.
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On the multinational KEVADTORM 2023 exercise held over public land to the east of Tallinn, today commenced with an early hours amphibious landing by the UK’s 45 Commando with the aim of seizing and neutralising a defence missile complex before a few hours later French Paratroopers from 11e Brigade Parachutiste jumped into an improvised drop zone 50km to the east. As there was little point in attempting to photograph the beach landing at the darkest point of the night, we joined the Royal Marines as their landing craft came ashore to back-load (notional) casualties following the dawn attack.
We next joined volunteers from the Estonian Defence League as they joined the combat phase of the operation to block Orange Forces advancing though their villages and hamlets; though comparatively lightly armed, the EDL troops have the advantage of knowing the ground they are defending like the backs of their hands. Meanwhile, south of the French drop zone and closer to the main national training area at Tapa the British-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) battlegroup under the 1st Estonian Brigade was falling back to defensive lines in the face of concentrated pushes along two east-west axis by Orange Forces armour.
After a hard day on exercise KEVADTORM 2023 a temporary pause in the action was called at around 20:00 local to allow the troops to be replenished with ammunition, water and food. Tomorrow, as they say, is another day…
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