An exercise involving the United States, France, and the United Kingdom
Estonia has one of the smallest armies in NATO and is also one of the allied countries that share borders with Russia.
Kevadtorm, the images of the armored deployment of the Spanish Army in Estonia
These are the five smallest armies in the NATO, two of them in a zone of high tension
In the event of a Russian attack against the Atlantic Alliance, the first strike would most likely target the small Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, attempting to isolate them from the rest of NATO by occupying the Suwalki Corridor, a strategic border between Poland and Lithuania that separates Belarus from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. This is one of the reasons why NATO seeks to maintain a significant armed presence in these three countries, especially since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
📍Estonie | Poursuite de l’exercice #WINTERCAMP du bataillon multinational de l’@OTAN_FR
💪 Partenariat entre soldats 🇫🇷🇬🇧🇪🇪 pour partager leurs savoir-faire en combat offensif et défensif et tirs sous conditions climatiques extrêmes.
🤝 Les soldats de @Natobgest, #ensemble,… pic.twitter.com/i2y3sBbHjE
— ArmĂ©e française – OpĂ©rations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) February 5, 2026
These days Estonia is hosting Exercise Winter Camp 2026, annual NATO maneuvers that this year bring together 1,250 allied soldiers in that country, specifically at the Camp Tapa military base, 94 km from the border with Russia. This year’s exercise is proving to be particularly cold, with maximum temperatures of only -10ÂşC. Above, we can see a video of this exercise published by the French Army.
This exercise includes the participation of the armies of Estonia, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. The United States Army has sent the 6th Squadron of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, belonging to the 1st Cavalry Division, equipped with M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks, like the one seen above.
The British Army is contributing Challenger 2 tanks (like the one pictured) from the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) of the 12th Armoured Brigade to this exercise. This unit has been deployed in Estonia since September as part of NATO’s Multinational Brigade in that country.
In turn, the French Army has deployed AMX-10 RC tank destroyers (above), as well as VBMR Griffon armored personnel carriers and EBRC Jaguar armored reconnaissance vehicles.
As for the host country, the Estonian Land Forces are contributing personnel and equipment from their 1. Jalaväebrigaad (1st Infantry Brigade) to this exercise. The brigade’s headquarters and most of its units are located at the Tapa military base, where Winter Camp 2026 is taking place. Here we see several Estonian soldiers in winter uniforms.
This Estonian Brigade is equipped with CV9035EE infantry fighting vehicles, armed with 35mm Bushmaster III main guns. Above, we can see two of them in this exercise.
These NATO maneuvers serve to adapt allied forces to the extreme winter climate of the Baltic countries, as well as contribute to the deterrent and defensive role of NATO forces deployed on the Alliance’s eastern flank. You can see some more photos of this exercise here.
A British Army Challenger 2 tank, equipped with effective camouflage netting for snowy environments, alongside a French Army VBMR Griffon armored personnel carrier.
Another French VBMR Griffon alongside an American M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tank. The US vehicles have been deployed in Estonia in the traditional desert camouflage scheme they adopted during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Another US Army M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams. We see one of its crew members next to the tank, armed with an NLAW anti-tank missile launcher.
An Estonian CV9035EE infantry fighting vehicle with very good winter camouflage. Estonia bought 44 of these vehicles from the Netherlands in December 2014. Originally designated CV9035NL, they have been redesignated CV9035EE in the Baltic country.
A US Army M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams equipped with tow bars on its front. This tank has its turret decorated with six Punisher skulls, a very popular emblem in the United States Armed Forces.
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Photos: Eesti Kaitsevägi / Sõdurileht / U.S. Army / French Forces in Estonia.