Forward deployment of British troops in Estonia remains a critical pillar of UK and NATO deterrence against potential Russian aggression, defence officials told MPs during an oral evidence session on 25 March.
The discussion came as part of the Defence Committee’s ongoing inquiry into “Defence in the Grey Zone”—a strategic space where sub-threshold tactics like cyber attacks and disinformation sit alongside traditional military posturing.
Labour MP Emma Lewell pressed the panel on whether Russia’s track record of “bite-and-hold” operations—in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine—should prompt the UK to expand its own forward-deployed presence to prevent further incursions.
Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard responded by highlighting the UK’s existing deployment in Estonia as a model of effective deterrence. “There is a real benefit to our forward land presence in Estonia—not just for the Estonians, but for the UK’s security as well,” he said, noting the UK’s leading role within NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP).
Pollard also cited the integration of UK forces with regional NATO partners, including Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Sweden. “The new regional plan that covers that part of the world, hubbed out of Norfolk [Virginia], allows us to have not just a UK presence in Estonia but greater integration across the High North,” he explained.
The Minister added that such deployments are not solely military in purpose, but symbolic and strategic: “It also allows a forward presence for the UK to conduct information discussions and to show our support for our NATO allies.” He pointed to the recent visit of the Prince of Wales to Estonia as a signal of continued British commitment to Baltic security.
Paul Wyatt, Director General for Security Policy at the Ministry of Defence, reinforced the point that such efforts are multilateral by design. “This is something that we do not do unilaterally,” he said. “We do it very much in the context of NATO planning… and a combined multilateral NATO endeavour.”
Wyatt added that UK involvement includes both land and air components, citing the UK’s role in Baltic and Romanian air policing operations: “It’s not just a land forces deployment… but also security of the airspace.”
The UK’s forward posture in the Baltics forms part of NATO’s broader deterrence-by-denial strategy, ensuring that any attempt at Russian escalation—from hybrid interference to full military incursion—is met by a visible and integrated Allied response.
Sounds like wishful thinking
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So Pollard ignores the social media reports that Cabrit has been reduced in size and has 10 Tanks.
Words, It’s just words.
I’m seeing a disturbing trend where this government talk the talk but don’t actually walk the walk.
Cutting the army to the core is just crazy in these current threat times, I’m not just talking about this current bunch but also the last bunch.
Makes my piss boil.
Emma Lewell MP asks about expanding it.
🙄
One of the many issues facing UK Defence is the sheer ignorance of the military by most MPs.
This BG in itself takes up a chunk of our 2 A Brigades, which are already being double hatted as part of SACEUR reserve.
Yes, previous Tory government did for the Army from 2010 on.
The state of the RN and the RAF was a joint effort including Labour from 97 on.
Yes, more words and now they are mostly all retired.
Sitting back rather comfy whilst others are left to pick up the pieces.
In fairness, the up-scaling of Cabrit was, when it was announced, intended to be a temporary measure.
Daniele, did Op Cabrit once have two squadrons ie 28 tanks?
Who are they trying to fool. If that’s a deterant force God help us
It’s their mere presence more than their number, itself minimal as mentioned.
In the 80s NATO you, in theory at least, attack 2 NATO members soldiers in a Landrover then you’d expect a unified, ungodly response.
Right now, would the US respond? Would Germany heroically dive in to cut a deal on natural gas to look the other way? Would France who always has one foot out of NATO respond? Would Poland look behind it and notice its backup is 40k ill-equipped British troops and have a rethink? Would Turkey decide the Europe which keeps rejecting it isn’t worth blood and treasure. And so on.
Sensible people wouldn’t risk it no matter the size of the deterrent force and the slightest possibility of a unified NATO response, Vlad though?
What can we do though, UK forces are small, a division or two in somewhere like say Germany might offer a little more of a deterrent but that’s just crazy talk according to my mate Dave.
You have triggered an intriguing thought. Wonder whether others in the future will retrospectively attempt to draw parallels between BA deployments in the 2020s, w/ BEF deployment 1939-40? Sobering concept. 🤔😳
F/USAF, that would be interesting. The BEF Order of Battle (ORBAT) consisted of ten infantry divisions ready for field service, viz. I Corps, II Corps, III Corps and Saar Force. Plus three Territorial divisions (termed Labour divisions) of partly trained men (essentially intended for rear area security duties and as BCRs, I believe).
BEF GHQ commanded both this Field Force and the BEF Air Component (RAF) of about 500 aircraft but additional aircraft (a long-range bomber force) were under the control of RAF Bomber Command. The BEF maxed at 390,000 men and included some of our newest kit.
This was a very big demonstration of support for our heavily threatened allies, France (and Belgium), and the BEF were placed under command of the French Army. General Gort (BEF commander) being subordinated to General Alphonse Georges, the French commander of the North-Eastern Theatre of Operations.
People, including this site mock and lambast the Americans but this is their thought process in a nutshell. Europe complains about America but they haven’t exactly been physically committed to the NATO cause for several decades, expecting the good old USA to ride to the rescue in the event something bad happens.
Bit rich saying that, when Europe literally spent the last few decades fighting in American war halfway across the globe because the US went running to NATO for help….
April fools was yesterday those who have left our troops and serviceman and the homeland vulnerable have a lot to answer for but we will never get those answers or any accountability
i forgot to mention servicewomen aswell
The 🐘 in the room? Run out of Norfolk.
There has to be a concerted European effort to replace American command structures with European ones AND the seedcorn planted replacing unique American contributions with European ones.
Perhaps conducting planning from Denmark or Sweden would be a better answer to the issue that we simply can jot trust the Americans and need them to wind their necks in.
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