NATO Enhanced Forward Presence

Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) is a NATO-allied forward deployed defense and deterrence military posture in Central Europe through Poland and Northern Europe through Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, in order to protect and reassure NATO's Central and Northern European member states on NATO's eastern flank of their security. Following Russia's invasion of Crimea and its War in Donbass, NATO's member states agreed at the 2016 Warsaw summit to forward deploy four multinational battalion battle groups to those NATO member states perceived to be most at risk of a possible Russian attack or invasion.

Overview

The four multinational battalion battle groups are based in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, and led by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and the United States:[1]

Country	Location	Lead nation	Current participants
Estonia	Tapa	United Kingdom	Denmark, Iceland
Latvia	Ādaži	Canada	Albania, Czech Republic, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain
Lithuania	Rukla	Germany	Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway
Poland	Orzysz	United States	Croatia, Romania, United Kingdom

The troops serving in the multinational battalion battle groups will rotate every six months and train and operate with their host nations' militaries.

Estonian multinational battalion battle group

The United Kingdom will deploy 800 personnel from the British Army's 5^th Battalion, The Rifles with Warrior infantry fighting vehicles and the Queen's Royal Hussars with Challenger 2 main battle tanks, both part of the 20^th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Artillery, an armoured engineer squadron, logistics specialists and reconnaissance assets will be attached to the British contingent.[2][3] The British unit will be supported by a mixed battle group from the French Army's 9^th Light Armoured Marine Brigade consisting of an mechanized infantry company from the 2^nd Marine Infantry Regiment equipped with VBCI infantry fighting vehicles, artillery from the 11^th Marine Artillery Regiment equipped with CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, and combat engineers from the 6^th Engineer Regiment, with a company of Leclerc main battle tanks from the 7^th Armoured Brigade's 1^st Chasseurs Regiment attached for the deployment. Additionally the Danish Army will deploy a mechanized force by 2018 at the latest.[4]

The British Army's 5^th Battalion, The Rifles battlegroup, will rotate back to the United Kingdom in November 2017 and be replaced by a battlegroup formed around the 1^st Battalion, Royal Welsh.[5]

The Belgian Army contributes a 269-soldier strong Belgian Land Component armoured infantry company from the Chasseurs Ardennais with support elements and HQ staff officers.[6]

3 brigade HQ support personnel from the Royal Danish Army and 1 strategic communications civilian from the Icelandic defence forces have also been stationed in Estonia.[7]

Latvian multinational battalion battle group

Italian Army 1^st Bersaglieri Regiment VTLM Lince being refueled by Canadian Army and Slovenian Army troops

Italian Army 4^th Tank Regiment Ariete main battle tank and a Canadian Army and LAV III on patrol

Structure of Latvian eFP Battle Group

Canada provides the core of the NATO battle group in Latvia with around 450 mechanized infantry and supporting troops. This contingent is provided by Canada's high readiness brigade, a task that rotates annually amongst the 3 Regular Force brigades of the country. In 2017, it was provided by the 1^st Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in Western Canada which handed over to the 2^nd mechanized brigade in Eastern Canada in 2018, which provided the 2^nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based in CFB Gagetown which rotated in to relieve the 1^st Battalion, PPCLI.[8]. In June 2018, the 2^nd Battalion was replaced by 1^st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, based out of Petawawa Ontario. In January 2019, Canada's French-speaking mechanized brigade from Quebec, (the 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group), took on the task. The commanding officer, LCol Sauvé, and most of the soldiers are, in 2019, from the 2^nd battalion of the Royal 22e Régiment (2R22eR) or the armoured 12^e Régiment Blindé du Canada (12^e RBC). [9]. In accordancs with this rotation cycle, they will be replaced in July 2019 by the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry from the 1^st mechanized brigade. Reservists from over 100 units across Canada have provided several augmentees in each roto.

Spain will dispatch a reinforced armored infantry company consisting of around 350 troops from the 11^th Mechanized Infantry Brigade "Extremadura". The Spanish contingent will include 6 Leopard 2E main battle tanks from the I/16^th Tank Battalion "Mérida" of the 16^th Armored Regiment "Castilla" and 15 Pizarro infantry fighting vehicles from the I/6^th Mechanized Infantry Battalion "Cantabria" of the 6^th Infantry Regiment "Saboya".[10]

Italy will provide an Italian Army mechanized Infantry company with Freccia and Dardo infantry fighting vehicles. Recently the Italian Army has reinforced its presence with 8 Ariete main battle tanks.

Poland an armored company with PT-91 Twardy main battle tanks.

Slovenia will deploy a Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defense platoon of the Slovenian Armed Forces, while Albania will send a small detachment from the Albanian Land Force.

Slovakia will deploy an armored infantry company consisting of 150 troops from 11^th Mechanized Battalion starting in second half of 2018. The Slovak force contribution consists of a Mechanised Company on BMP2, Command and Control Element, Military Police team, Repairs and Operation Platoon as a support element and a team of medics.

The Czech Republic provides a mortar platoon of 55 soldiers.[11]

Albania provides 21 EOD engineer and Montenegro provides a reconnaissance squad.[7]

Lithuanian multinational battalion battle group

The Lithuania multinational battalion battle group will be assigned to the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf of the Lithuanian Army and based in Rukla.

The first German Army unit to deploy to Lithuania is the 122^nd Mechanized Battalion of the 12th Armoured Brigade of the 10^th Panzer Division. Equipped with Marder infantry fighting vehicles the battalion will be augmented with Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks from the 104^th Tank Battalion, PzH 2000 self-propelled artillery from the 131^st Artillery Battalion engineers from the 4^th Armored Engineer Battalion and troops from the 4^th Supply Battalion.

Additionally, the Royal Netherlands Army deploys an infantry company supported by engineers, logistics and medical personnel.

The Norwegian Army deploys a mixed armoured company from the Telemark Battalion equipped with CV9030 infantry fighting vehicles and Leopard 2A4NO main battle tanks.

The Belgian Army deploys a logistic support company, which arrived in Lithuania on 24 January 2017. The 100 men from the 18^th Logistics Battalion and 29^th Logistics Battalion of the Belgian Land Component with medical and military police units attached arrived by ferry in Klaipėda and contain a small detachments of troops from the Luxembourg Army.[12]

Croatia is providing a Croatian Army mechanised infantry company equipped with Patria AMV APCs.

Since March 2018, Iceland deploys one civilian expert to the battlegroup.

The Czech Republic provides a mechanized company of 230 soldiers.[11]

Battle Group Poland

The Poland-based multinational battalion Battle Group, known as Battle Group Poland (BGPOL),[13] is currently led by the United States Army's 3^rd ("Wolfpack") Squadron, 2^nd Cavalry Regiment (United States) headquartered in Rose Barracks, Germany. The Battle Group consists of a US combined-arms battalion, a Sabre Squadron from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, a Croatian rocket artillery battery, and an ADA company from the Romanian Army.

The Battle Group is attached to the Polish Army's 15^th Mechanized Brigade and based in Orzysz located near the Suwalki Gap.

References

1. http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_136388.htm NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Website
2. Soldier Magazine. Aldershot Garrison, Hampshire, England: Ministry of Defence. August 2016. p. 14.
3. "Survival Kit and Outdoor Military Equipment - Survival Aids". www.survivalaids.com.
4. "British troops to defend Baltics against Russia in new Nato mission". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
5. "Royal Welsh Regiment to be base unit of British contingent in Estonia from November". Latvian Information Agency. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
6. "Belgian troops joined the NATO enhanced forward presence battle group at Tapa - Kaitsevägi". www.mil.ee. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
7. "NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence" (PDF). nato.int. 2019-02-13. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
8. Defence, National; Defence, National (13 January 2018). "Canadian Armed Forces Members deploy to continue deterrence mission in Latvia". gcnws.
9. "http://www.45enord.ca/2019/01/premier-depart-troupes-valcartier-deployees-lettonie/". External link in |title= (help) Date 3 jan 2019
10. "España desplegará por primera vez los tanques Leopard en una misión exterior". ABC España. 12 February 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
11. "České jednotky zamíří do Pobaltí. S minomety a obrněnci Pandur". iDNES.cz (in Czech). 11 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
12. https://www.bundeswehr.de/portal/a/bwde/start/aktuelles/aus_der_truppe/!ut/p/z1/ German Army eFP site (and) http://kam.lt/en/news_1098/current_issues/first_troops_of_the_nato_enhanced_forward_presence_battalion_come_to_lithuania_from_belgium.html?pbck=0 Archived 2017-02-02 at the Wayback Machine Lithuaian Army Press Release
13. Dorschner, James (September 21, 2017). "Ramping up: U.S. Army Europe building forces and capability". Jane's Defence Weekly.

External links

• NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence nato.int, May 2017
• Overview of the EFP on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia website