The tour was organized for the 20th anniversary of Estonia's membership of NATO and the Alliance's 75th anniversary. During the week, soldiers visited Jõhvi, Sillamäe, Tartu, Võru and Pärnu. On Thursday, the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF), French and British soldiers, and military equipment finally made their way to the capital.

Lt. Julius Air Kull, an officer at the Support Command of EDF, told ERR News why it is important to meet the locals: "We want to keep contact with the civilian population because if something really bad were to happen in Estonia, then everybody is involved" he said. "We want to reassure them that we are here."

French and British soldiers said they were met with enthusiasm across the country during the tour.

"We received a really warm welcome to our actions. All the people, the families with children were coming, I would say naturally to us, to speak and to discover what we are doing there and to ask questions about our equipment, about our weapons, our vehicles." Captain Clément, French Air Force's Stratcom Advisor shared. 

The tour could be a curiosity for some due to Estonia's policy of conscription, which is not mandatory in all NATO countries.

"Because so many people in Estonia have done national service and conscription, I think it adds a different element. They're really interested in certain aspects of the machines and how it compares to what they've dealt with" expressed British Tech Commander, Captain Hoffman.

Among the vehicles and weapons on display was a French "Griffon" tank constructed in 2021.

Captain Clément said the Griffon is the product of 40 years of French military operations. But what makes the vehicle special, according to the captain, is its telecommunication system.

"This vehicle is capturing information from the environment [and] is directly sharing this information with all the other vehicles of the same type," he said.

If innovations have been based on past experiences, then military equipment is also looking for the future.

The British Army also presented a Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET), capable of carrying 70-tonne main battle tanks. Additionally, a British Battle Tank Challenger 2 was at Stroomi, the British Army's main battle as well as rocket launchers.

The EDF showcased weapons used by soldiers over time, past and present, under a green tent.

"For weapons, and we're talking about the regular infantryman, we have rifles \...\ Then machine guns and anti-tank infantry grenade launchers," Lt. Kull explained.

To better understand the life of Estonian soldiers, everyday utilities were also on display, such as soldiers' equipment and meals ready to eat (MRE).

Soldiers' ration packs contain pate and dried food, where only boiling water is needed.

When asked which meals is the most popular among soldiers, Kull replied: "Chili Con Carne is a pretty good one. I can say from my own experience."

A large crowd gathered to see the military hardware and watch a performance by the British Army's Pipes and Drums band. Many people tried out the weapons, climbed into tanks and even tasted food made by British Army cooks.

Sofi, a young half-Estonian girl living currently England but visiting Tallinn, told ERR News she was impressed with the "guns" and found it "interesting".

Her mother, Kathrin, explained that by seeing real military equipment and soldiers, she was able to "understand a little bit more of it". However, she declared she was not worried about the presence of NATO forces in Estonia.

"We've always been in the loop" she said.  

NATO's presence and cooperation in Estonia began in 2004, and the country has participated in foreign operations ever since.

Captain Clément emphasized Estonia's role in the Alliance, giving the example of its direct contribution in Mali's intervention from 2020 to 2022 when the EDF's Special Forces component was deployed.

"They were the first who participated with our special forces "Takuba" detachment inside Mali. So we are delighted to give a hand and to be a part of the defense of this territory too."

Some soldiers present on the tour will be part of Estonia's biggest military exercise "Spring Storm 2024" this summer. This year the exercise takes place in the context of the NATO exercise Steadfast Defender, where North American troops will practice crossing the Atlantic and moving across Europe to exercise with European forces.

Almost 100,000 military personnel will be deployed for this operation, making it the largest NATO exercise since the end of the Cold War.

"It's really important, especially in large scale operations as Steadfast Defender, to be able to coordinate, to link up each other, telecommunication, logistics, force generation, coordination on the field, and which kind of targeting each unit will do", said Captain Clément said.

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