North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
May 14, 2014
NATO EXERCISE STEADFAST JAVELIN 1 ABOUT TO COMMENCE IN ESTONIA
Brunssum, THE NETHERLANDS: NATO Exercise Steadfast Javelin 1 is set to get underway later this month in Estonia.
Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum will take the lead on Friday, 16 May 2014, within the framework of the annual Estonian Defence Forces exercise KEVADTORM14.
Commander Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, General Hans-Lothar Domröse says, “In the spirit of NATO’s Connected Force Initiative, Steadfast Javelin 1 will exercise NATO forces, through better use of technology, to develop interoperability and operational preparedness and to maintain NATO’s readiness and combat effectiveness.”
The Estonian Defence Forces, the Defence League, reserve forces and allied states have committed 6,000 personnel to both exercises. Participants will be dispersed over an extended area within the Võru, Valga, Tartu, Viljandi and Põlva counties of southern and south-eastern Estonia. A team of personnel from JFC Brunssum will integrate with their Estonian colleagues, provide NATO reporting and build on relationships developed by Regional Focus efforts. They will also explore further NATO exercise opportunities.
During the exercise, Estonia’s armed forces’ will be exercised and trained in the areas of combat readiness and operations. In addition to the above-mentioned training objectives, Estonian military personnel will undertake a series of battle tasks. These are designed to test the abilities of headquarters and units to successfully execute peacetime, crisis and wartime tasks.
Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum and NATO Member nations will participate in both exercises and supply engineering, reconnaissance, air and land expertise in support of exercise aims and objectives. During the exercises, Allied personnel will provide support to Estonian forces tasked to protect its people. Estonian participants will be trained and exercised in the use of delay, defence and counter attack tactics and will utilise a broad range of capabilities such as, air defence, artillery, military intelligence, maritime, air and special forces, using C2 processes and procedures.
Participants this year include a Latvian infantry company, a Lithuanian reconnaissance platoon, an infantry company from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (GBR), soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team (USA) and a platoon of engineers from Denmark. Poland has also committed three Sukhoi Su-22 attack aircraft and a missile defence division (SA-8), whilst Belgium will provide anti-aircraft personnel. The participation of Baltic States and a number of Alliance contingents demonstrates the unity of the Baltic Alliance and NATO’s commitment to the region.
Successful completion of Steadfast Javelin 1 will provide assurance that Estonian units have achieved the required level of training and interoperability required to defend themselves. This will confirm that Estonia has well equipped forces, closely aligned with NATO, able to deliver effective security and stability in the Baltic region whilst supporting NATO’s principle objective of collective defence.
Steadfast Javelin 1 will wrap up on 23 May.
Story by JFC Brunssum Public Affairs Office
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