Soldiers from the French Army’s 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade have carried out exercises in Estonia to improve their tactical skills.
The mountain commandos are part of the French contingent deployed in support of the Nato enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup Estonia.
A series of intense exercises were conducted by the unit, which included ‘highly trained and battle-hardened service members’, along with Estonian, British, and Danish troops.
It provided an opportunity for the unit to practise and test their tactics and interoperability with the troops while assessing their readiness to defend against any hostility, whenever required.
Some of the training scenarios included wrecking modern battle tanks, seeking cover from enemy heat-seeking uncrewed systems, striking down a dug-in enemy, electronic warfare capabilities, and more.
The French unit also worked with 155mm artillery guns and HIMARS multiple rocket launchers.
Lieutenant colonel Jean Philippe, who commanded the unit assigned to Nato eFP Battlegroup Estonia, said: “In Afghanistan and Mali, we fought an enemy that had no armoured vehicles or drones. Here, we are training to fight against a modern enemy. We constantly need to adjust and make small changes in tactics; how quickly we need to move artillery after use, how to avoid infrared sensors, how to make sure we have the right clothes to protect ourselves against the humid cold in Estonia.”
He added: “On this mission, we wanted to face a very strong enemy. We came on short notice but what has made the mission memorable is working with our Estonian, British, and Danish colleagues. In spite of the different languages, it was easy to talk as soldiers about tactics and manoeuvres. And, in that way, is easy to be engaged in such an operation.”
