Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) is a NATO-allied forward-deployed defense and deterrence military force in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. This posture in Northern Europe through Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and in Central Europe through Poland, Slovakia and Hungary and in Eastern Europe through Romania and Bulgaria, is in place to protect and reassure the security of NATO's Northern, Central and Eastern European member states on NATO's eastern flank.[1] [2]
Following Russia's invasion of Crimea, NATO's member states agreed at the 2016 Warsaw summit to forward deploy four multinational battalion battle groups to areas most likely to be attacked.[3]
The numbers involved, although a notable supplement to the armed forces of the country being defended, are limited so that they avoid seeming to threaten Russia. The chief value of the force is that it is impossible to invade Poland or the Baltic States without battling the soldiers and firing on the flags of the involved NATO states, giving cause for war. It is believed that the prospect of war with all those countries will deter aggression.
The original 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 respectively.[4]
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, NATO members agreed to establish four more multinational battalion battle groups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia led by Italy, Hungary, France, Czech Republic respectively at 2022 Madrid Summit.[5]
| Country | Location | Leading state | Participants | Troops (approx.)[6] [7] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,650[8] | |||||
| 2,200 | |||||
| 1,054 | |||||
| 4,000 | |||||
| 3,700 | |||||
| 11,600 | |||||
| 4,700 | |||||
| 1,100 |
The troops serving in the multinational battalion battle groups rotate every six months and train and operate with their host nations' militaries.
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.[11]
Additionally the Danish Army will deploy a mechanized force by 2018 at the latest.[12] Three 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.[13]
The British unit will be supported by a mixed battle group from the French Army's 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade consisting of a mechanized infantry company from the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment equipped with VBCI infantry fighting vehicles, artillery from the 11th Marine Artillery Regiment equipped with CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, and combat engineers from the 6th Engineer Regiment, with a company of Leclerc main battle tanks from the 7th Armoured Brigade's 1st Chasseurs Regiment attached for the deployment.
The United Kingdom under Operation Cabrit[14] deployed 800 personnel from the British Army's 20th Armoured Brigade Combat Team:
The British Army's 5th Battalion, The Rifles battlegroup, rotated back to the United Kingdom in November 2017 and was replaced by a battlegroup formed around the 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh.[16]
During 2022 between March and June Exercise Spring Storm took place which brought AgustaWestland Apache AH.1's and AgustaWestland Wildcat AH.1's to Estonia and other Eastern European countries.[17]
As part of Aviation Task Force 3 under Operation Peleda, Chinook HC.5/6s from No. 27 Squadron RAF were deployed to Amari Air Base between 8 July and September 2022. They were supported by the Joint Helicopter Support Squadron, Tactical Supply Wing RAF and 244 Signal Squadron (Air Support) (of 30 Signal Regiment).[18] Chinook HC.5/6s from No. 18 Squadron RAF deployed to Amari from January to February 2023.[19]
The Latvian multinational battalion battle group is based at Camp Adazi, near the Latvian capital of Riga, and contains approximately 1,500 personnel.[20] [21]
Albania will send a small detachment of 21 EOD engineers from the Albanian Land Force.
Canada provides the core of the NATO battle group in Latvia with approximately 540 mechanized infantry and supporting troops. This contingent, Operation Reassurance, is provided by Canada's high-readiness brigade, a task which rotates annually amongst the three Regular Force brigades of the country. Reservists from more than 100 units across Canada have provided several augmentees to each rotation.[22]
In 2017, the contingent was provided by 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in Western Canada, which handed over to 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in Eastern Canada in 2018. The 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR), based in CFB Gagetown, rotated in to relieve the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI).[23]
In June 2018, the 2nd Battalion RCR was replaced by the 1st Battalion RCR, based out of Petawawa, Ontario.
In January 2019, Canada's French-speaking mechanized brigade from Quebec, (5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group), took on the task. The commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Sauvé, and most of the soldiers were from the 2nd Battalion of the Royal 22e Régiment (2R22eR) or the armoured 12e Régiment blindé du Canada (12e RBC).[24] In accordance with this rotation cycle, they were replaced in July 2019 by the 2nd Battalion PPCLI from the 1st Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
In January 2020, a battle group led by Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), of the 1st Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, rotated in to Latvia, and was replaced by a battle group led by the 2nd Battalion RCR.
In January 2021, a battle group led by the Royal Canadian Dragoons, of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, relieved the 2nd Battalion RCR.
On 15 December 2023 the Canadian Defence Minister announced several measures to strengthen Canada’s military presence in Latvia as part of the planned increase from about 1,000 Canadian personnel to 2,200 by 2026. These include:[25]
On 15 February 2024, the Canadian Defence Minister announced that the Canadian Armed Forces members in Latvia will receive air defence capabilities consisting of:
The Czech Republic provides a mortar platoon of 55 soldiers.[27]
In April 2022, the first part of a force consisting of about 750 Danish soldiers, along with armoured vehicles, arrived in Latvia.[28]
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.
Montenegro provides a reconnaissance squad.
Poland provides an armored company with PT-91 Twardy main battle tanks.
Slovenia will deploy an Infantry reconnaissance platoon, Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) team, Contribution to battlegroup headquarters, Support elements of the Slovenian Armed Forces.
Slovakia deployed an armored infantry company consisting of 150 troops from 11th Mechanized Battalion starting in second half of 2018. The Slovak force contribution consists of:
Since December 2020, Slovakia has changed capabilities from Mechanize to Artillery. SLOVCON consists of:
Spain will dispatch a reinforced armored infantry company consisting of around 350 troops from the 11th Mechanized Infantry Brigade "Extremadura". The Spanish contingent will include 6 Leopard 2E main battle tanks from the I/16th Tank Battalion "Mérida" of the 16th Armored Regiment "Castilla" and 15 Pizarro infantry fighting vehicles from the I/6th Mechanized Infantry Battalion "Cantabria" of the 6th Infantry Regiment "Saboya".[29]
The Swedish Prime minister announced during a defence conference in January of 2024 that Sweden will provide a Battalion to Latvia in 2025 as part of NATO's forward presence when Sweden joins NATO.[30] The Battalion will be deployed in cooperation with Denmark with a changeover between a Danish and a Swedish battalion every 6 months. Initially the 71 Motorized battalion is earmarked for the Deployment.
The Lithuania multinational battalion battle group is under the command of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf of the Lithuanian Land Forces and based in Rukla.[31] The battalion has a headquarters company, three to four combat companies and various support units. The battle group is led by Germany.[32] Each rotation lasts six months.[33] Additionally, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the German Armed Forces have expanded their presence in Lithuania. In December 2023 German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius and Lithuanian Minister of Defence Arvydas Anušauskas agreed on plans to permanently station a full German Brigade in Lithuania beginning in 2025.[34]
| Parent unit(s) | March 2019[36] | Parent unit(s) | October 2020[37] | Parent unit(s) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country/number of troops | ||||||||||
| Belgium | 60 | Support elements | 1 | Staff officer for battlegroup headquarters | 1 | Public affairs officer | ||||
| Czech Republic | n/a | - | 230 | Mechanized infantry companySupport elements | 35 | Electronic warfare element Support elements | ||||
| Croatia | 178 | Mechanized infantry company (15x Patria MV armoured vehicles, 4x multiple-launch rocket system 3x M-ATV mine-resistant vehicles) | 1st Mechanized Battalion "Tigers" | 208 | Mechanized infantry company | 208 | Mechanized infantry company | |||
| France | n/a | - | n/a | - | 275 | Mechanised infantry companyArmoured platoon with MBT | ||||
| Germany | 450 | Armoured infantry battalion with AFVs complemented with MBTs and self-propelled artillery Mobility engineers, Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (incl. tactical UAVs) and support elements | 540 | Armoured infantry company Combat service Combat service support | 527 | Armoured company Mechanised infantry platoon Combat service Combat service support | ||||
| Iceland | 1 | 1 Coast guard officer for explosive ordnance disposal | 1 | Public affairs civilian | 1 | Public affairs civilian | ||||
| Luxembourg | 22 | Integrated into Belgian Support elements | n/a | - | 4 | Transportation team | ||||
| Netherlands | 250-270 | Armoured infantry companywith AFV | 250-270 | Mechanised infantry company with AFV | 270 | Mechanised infantry companyLogistics support element | ||||
| Norway | 200 | Combined arms company - armoured | Drawn from Telemark Battalion and other Brigade Nord units [equipped with [[Combat Vehicle 90|CV9030]] IFVs and Leopard 2A4NO MBTs] | 13 | Joint fires section | Artillery Battalion | 120 | Armoured infantry companywith AFV | ||
| Total | 1181 | 1055 | 1233 | |||||||
The Belgian Army sent a logistic support company, which arrived in Lithuania on 24 January 2017. The 100 men from the 18th Logistics Battalion and 29th Logistics Battalion of the Belgian Land Component with medical and military police units attached arrived by ferry in Klaipėda and contain a small detachment of troops from the Luxembourg Army,[39] [40] which brought with them around ten transport trucks.[41]
In July 2018, Czechia provided EFP Lithuania the 1st Company Task Force consisting of a mechanized company with Pandur armored vehicles reinforced by an engineer platoon, a logistics unit and a medical element reaching a total of 230 people.[42] After six months, they were replaced by the 2nd Task Force for the next half-year. Both task forces consisted of the 's soldiers. After deployment, the company task force returned to the Czech Republic in July 2019. From then on until 2021, Czech Army sent four electronic warfare task forces. Since July 2021, an anti-aircraft missile battery from the 252nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Section (sub-unit of the) armed with RBS 70 has been operating in Lithuania.
Some 200 soldiers from 5th Dragoon Regiment of the French Army have arrived to Rukla on 3 July 2020, staying there for 6 months until the end of December, with a hundred more administration and logistics personnel. The troops form a mechanised infantry company and are reinforced with 5 Leclerc tanks and 14 VBCI IFVs.[43]
The first German Army unit to deploy to Lithuania is the 122nd Mechanized Battalion of the of the 10th Panzer Division. Equipped with Marder infantry fighting vehicles the battalion will be augmented with Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks from the 104th Tank Battalion, PzH 2000 self-propelled artillery from the 131st Artillery Battalion engineers from the 4th Armored Engineer Battalion and troops from the 4th Supply Battalion.
From January to June 2018 about 30 soldiers deployed from the Intelligence Battalion's long-range reconnaissance patrol squadron.
From July 2019 troops from the Telemark Battalion and the Armoured Battalion are alternating on deploying an armoured infantry company with IFVs and MBTs consisting of 120-140 soldiers.[44] [45] [46]
From January 2022 2nd Battalion contributes a mechanized company with a tank capacity of about 140 personnel[47]
The Norwegian Government said in February 2022 that it will increase its contribution with up to 60 soldiers due to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis.[48] In June 2022 the Government extended Norway's contribution in Lithuania until 2023 due to the war in Ukraine.[49]
In August 2022 the taskforce was increased by a platoon from Telemark Battalion, bringing the total number of troops up to ca. 200.
The Poland-based multinational battalion Battle Group, known as Battle Group Poland (BGPOL),[50] is currently led by the United States Army's 2nd ("Cougars") Squadron, 2nd 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 15th Mechanized Brigade and based in Orzysz located south of Kaliningrad Oblast and 120 kilometers away from the Suwałki Gap.
In June 2021, around 30 German soldiers were recalled from service in Lithuania after they were accused of making racist and anti-Semitic remarks and of sexual violence.[51]