Kevadtorm Military Exercise Begins
Estonia's largest annual military games begin today, with 6,000 soldiers, conscripts, Defense League members and allied soldiers taking part.
The three-week exercise is a coming-of-age exam for the latest group of conscripts who will be complete their service shortly after Kevadtorm (spring storm), the Defense Force said in a press release on Sunday.
The conscripts will face a combined army of Estonian professional soldiers, allies and the first motorized conscripts battalion.
Besides the 150 US soldiers, Latvia and the United Kingdom are also participating with a infantry company. A Lithuanian platoon, three Polish Su-22 fighters and anti-air units, Belgian anti-air units and a French cyber defense unit will also get their hands dirty.
The training will take place in Põlva, Tartu, Viljandi and Võru counties, while the bulk of the activities will be carried out in Valga County. Spring Storm is also associated with Ämari base, and the Defence Logistics Center is located in Pärnu and support training will take place there .
The games take place in southern Estonia and around the Ämari airbase. A mock battle will be on show to the public near Helme, north from Valga, on May 19 between 14 and 16:00.