NATO MUltimedia

British Army Challenger tanks engage in simulated combat scenarios, including tactical manoeuvres and laying smokescreens during exercise Spring Storm 2019 in Estonia.

UK Army Challenger tanks are taking part in Spring Storm 19, Estonia’s largest annual military exercise.

The exercise involves more than 9,000 troops from 16 NATO and partner nations. The majority of participants are from Estonia’s conscript and reserve units. British attack helicopters have also been deployed to the country to take part. The exercise, in Estonia’s north-eastern town of Jõhvi, runs from 29 April to 10 May.

Footage includes shots of British Army Challenger 2 main battle tanks, attack helicopters, plus soundbites from Mark Lancaster, UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces, and Lt Col Angus Tilney, Commander of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup Estonia.

1. (00:00) BRITISH ARMY CHALLENGER 2 MAIN BATTLE TANK DRIVING ALONG A ROAD GIVING OFF SMOKESCREEN
2. (00:18) BRITISH ARMY CHALLENGER 2 TANK DRIVING ALONG FOREST ROAD
3. (00:31) BRITISH ARMY CHALLENGER 2 TANK REVERSING THROUGH SMOKESCREEN
4. (00:46) BRITISH ARMY WARRIOR VEHICLE DRIVING THROUGH FOREST
5. (00:55) BRITISH ARMY CHALLENGER 2 TANK REVERSING THROUGH SMOKESCREEN
6. (01:05) BRITISH ARMY CHALLENGER 2 TANK DRIVING THROUGH FOREST
7. (01:13) SOLDIERS FROM THE KING’S ROYAL HUSSARS PATROLLING THROUGH FOREST
8. (01:30) MARK LANCASTER, UK MINISTER OF STATE FOR THE ARMED FORCES, MEETING SOLDIERS
9. (01:38) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) LT COL ANGUS TILNEY, COMMANDER NATO EFP BATTLEGROUP ESTONIA

“So this is Exercise Spring Storm. It’s the culmination of the Estonian conscripts cycle and it sees around 9,500 troops from 16 different nations working together in this large scenario and it’s really a very important exercise to bring together lots of NATO partners as we train and build our common understanding as we work together.”

1. (02:01) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) LT COL ANGUS TILNEY, COMMANDER NATO EFP BATTLEGROUP ESTONIA

“As an example, within the enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup, we have mostly Brits but we also have 300 Belgian troops, and so working together means all of the things that is common understanding. That’s language, it’s radios talking to each other. It’s understanding whether or not we can use our ammunition in their weapons. It’s understanding whether my vehicles can recover their vehicles and vice versa. And that goes across all of our nations and so it’s really just understanding how our kit works together, how our language, how our doctrine and tactics works together and this exercise allows us to better understand all of that.”

1. (02:38) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) MARK LANCASTER, UK MINISTER OF STATE FOR THE ARMED FORCES

“It’s really important because NATO of course is an alliance of 29 nations, 29 friendly states. And our security is our collective security, which is why it’s so important that we take the opportunity to train together because the interoperability between our militaries is really really important and the cornerstone of our defence.”

1. (02:57) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) MARK LANCASTER, UK MINISTER OF STATE FOR THE ARMED FORCES

“Well, it’s been really interesting talking to soldiers from different nations here this afternoon. And the one thing that has come through is not only their professionality but also only through exercises like this do they have the opportunity to work together because of course there are minor differences in how we do things, in tactics and of course communications and indeed language, and it’s only really through exercises like this that we can hone their skills.”

1. (03:22) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) MARK LANCASTER, UK MINISTER OF STATE FOR THE ARMED FORCES

“NATO is a defensive organisation. It’s absolutely right that NATO Allies like Estonia should invite countries like ours onto their soil so that we can practise and train together. This is simply a defensive exercise and a deterrent.”

END