Over 3,000 British soldiers have returned from Estonia following the conclusion of Exercise Hedgehog 2025, a large-scale NATO training event testing the combat readiness of Allied forces in the Baltic region.
The exercise, which ran across multiple training areas in Estonia, involved over 17,000 personnel from 12 NATO allies and partners. It was designed to simulate a defensive response to potential threats on NATO’s eastern flank and to demonstrate the alliance’s ability to deploy forces rapidly and operate jointly in contested environments.
The UK’s 4th Light Brigade Combat Team, known as ‘The Black Rats’, led the British contribution. Soldiers travelled from the UK to Estonia by road, rail, sea, and air in under 48 hours, highlighting the brigade’s role as NATO’s high-readiness force assigned to support the Estonian Division.
Troops from the 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (1 LANCS) and the 2nd Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 SCOTS) conducted trench-based defence and urban combat operations in the Nursipalu training area, while British Challenger 2 tanks, Apache helicopters, and artillery systems contributed to combined arms training at Tapa.
“The 1 LANCS Battlegroup is a key part of 4th Light Brigade’s Forward Land Forces,” said Lieutenant Colonel Robert Carman. “We have deployed on Exercise Hedgehog as a mission rehearsal, showcasing our ability to rapidly commit forces to the region, and demonstrating NATO’s readiness to respond against threats to member states.”
The UK’s resident battlegroup in Estonia, 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (1 MERCIAN), also participated. Over 500 troops from 1 MERCIAN, supported by Royal Artillery, Engineers, Medics, and Cavalry units, formed a multinational battlegroup with French and Estonian elements.
“The exercise has proved really useful for improving our own training level,” said Lieutenant Colonel Grant Brown, 1 MERCIAN’s Commanding Officer. “As a multinational battlegroup commanding a French company, it has made us more interoperable with the French and the Estonian headquarters.”
Troops trained against simulated drone threats and carried out live manoeuvres in heavily forested terrain—similar to conditions seen in Ukraine. New technologies, including drones and advanced communications equipment, were tested during the exercise.
“I think a lot of people underestimate the threat that faces us every day,” added Lieutenant Colonel Brown. “Part of us being out here is not necessarily always to deter but to reassure our allies and to better train alongside them.”
Twelve countries took part in Exercise Hedgehog: Estonia, the UK, the US, Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Finland, Poland, and Portugal. Observers from Japan, Israel, and Ukraine also attended.
Hedgehog is one of several NATO activities under Operation Razoredge taking place across Northern Europe this spring, involving 16,500 Allied troops and 6,000 from the UK.
6,000 troops from the U.KThats a fairly good number, in this day and age.
Devils advocate: 6,000 probably involves some double counting. Eg if someone else deploys on exercise hedgehog and then again on steadfast defender that’s probably counted as 2 troops.
And of course it’s across all three services. But still, z good number.