"As part of a deployment operation taking place between April 14-30, the armed forces of the United Kingdom and France will bring a significant number of personnel and combat equipment to Estonia, practicing the rapid deployment of their troops in Estonia's defense," the press office of the Headquarters of the EDF said.

"The main force will consist of the British Army's 4th Brigade, which will bring approximately 1,500 troops to the exercise Siil 2025," the headquarters noted. "The French Armed Forces will deploy primarily marine infantry units ahead of the start of the exercise Siil 2025, in addition to the contingent already present here."

The British brigade includes two light infantry battalions equipped with Foxhound and Mastiff armored vehicles, as well as a light cavalry squadron of dragoons operating Jackal reconnaissance vehicles. The brigade will likewise bring fire support in the form of snipers, artillery, anti-tank and machine gun capabilities, and will be supported by engineer and logistics units.

Allied units will arrive in Estonia by air, sea and land, rehearsing the rapid reinforcement of the NATO battlegroup in Estonia using a variety of deployment methods.

Responsibility for receiving the incoming allied units lies with the EDF Support Command's Movement and Transportation Service, which will lead and coordinate all allied troop movements within Estonian territory.

The reception of the additional units will be supported by the Military Police, the Estonian Division's Logistics Battalion, the Estonian Air Force and the Estonian Navy, as well as the Northern Territorial Defense District of the volunteer Estonian Defense League (EDL).

"The arrival of allies in Estonia is an ideal opportunity to rehearse the entire reception chain — from port and airport operations to getting equipment to its final destination," Maj. Toomas Pärnpuu, commander of the EDF's Movement and Transportation Service, said in a press release.

"Our unit's goal is to ensure a smooth and secure reception of our allies by land, sea and air," he added.

The EDF warned that due to the arrival of additional allied units, more allied vehicles and military equipment than usual may be visible on Estonian roads during this time.

The EDF is asking all road users to remain alert and exercise patience with military convoys that may be traveling more slowly than civilian traffic.

Main Siil exercise taking place next month

Organized by the EDF and involving more than 16,000 troops, the large-scale international military exercise Siil 2025 will take place across the country on May 5-23.

The goals of the exercise are to test the combat readiness of the EDF and its units in an international framework; to assess, through practical tasks, the EDF's capability to respond to threat scenarios; to rehearse the rapid and large-scale deployment of allied forces to Estonia; to test the readiness of Estonia's reservists and refresh their military training; and to practice responding to regional military threats.

The exercise will also assess whether the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Estonian Division and designated units of the EDL's Northeastern Territorial Defense District meet the required standards in performing their tasks.

This year's edition of Siil will place special emphasis on both the deployment of additional allied units to Estonia and their reception and integration into the Estonian Division, along with the achievement of immediate combat readiness.

The overall commander of the exercise Siil 2025 is Maj. Gen. Andrus Merilo, commander of the EDF. The execution of the exercise is being led by Maj. Gen. Vahur Karus, chief of staff of the Headquarters of the EDF.

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