The goal of the exercise was to test the country's national defense chain of command, from government decision to the Estonian Defence Forces' (EDF) muster of the reservists of its rapid response structure.

According to Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Gen. Riho Terras, the EDF's second snap exercise demonstrated that Estonia's reservists want and know how to defend the country.

"Okas 2017 clearly demonstrated both that they assemble when the government summons them and that the day after they arrived at the base, the newly formed battalion was already able to begin training," Terras observed. "And what's most important: the unit was battle-ready. The reservists have earned both a great deal of thanks as well as recognition."

Reservists of the 13th Battalion of the 1st Infantry Brigade were summoned for the snap exercise by a 9:33 a.m. decision of the Estonian government on the morning of Dec. 6 with orders to report to Jõhvi by 9 a.m. the next day.

Training began at Sirgala Training Area on Friday, Dec. 8.

The entire command structure of the EDF, the Estonian Navy, the Scouts Battalion of the 1st Infantry Brigade, the NATO battle group structured in Estonia as well as the fighter jets of the Belgian Air Component currently serving the Baltic Air Policing out of Ämari took part in the snap exercise, just the second such exercise to be held in Estonia.

The first snap exercise took place one year prior, from Dec. 2-5, involving 300 reservists and members of the voluntary Estonian Defence League.