NATO Enhanced Forward Presence


Enhanced Forward Presence 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:
CountryLocationLead nationCurrent participants
EstoniaTapaUnited KingdomDenmark, Iceland
LatviaĀdažiCanadaAlbania, Czech Republic, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain
LithuaniaRuklaGermanyBelgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway
PolandOrzyszUnited StatesCroatia, 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 5th Battalion, The Rifles with Warrior infantry fighting vehicles and the Queen's Royal Hussars with Challenger 2 main battle tanks, both part of the 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Artillery, an armoured engineer squadron, logistics specialists and reconnaissance assets will be attached to the British contingent. The British unit will be supported by a mixed battle group from the French Army's 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade consisting of an 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. Additionally the Danish Army will deploy a mechanized force by 2018 at the latest.
The British Army's 5th Battalion, The Rifles battlegroup, will rotate back to the United Kingdom in November 2017 and be replaced by a battlegroup formed around the 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh.
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.
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.

Latvian multinational battalion battle group

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 1st Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in Western Canada which handed over to the 2nd mechanized brigade in Eastern Canada in 2018, which provided the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based in CFB Gagetown which rotated in to relieve the 1st Battalion, PPCLI.. In June 2018, the 2nd Battalion was replaced by 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, based out of Petawawa Ontario. In January 2019, Canada's French-speaking mechanized brigade from Quebec,, took on the task. The commanding officer, LCol Sauvé, and most of the soldiers are, in 2019, from the 2nd battalion of the Royal 22e Régiment or the armoured 12e Régiment Blindé du Canada.. In accordancs with this rotation cycle, they will be replaced in July 2019 by the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry from the 1st 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 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".
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 11th 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.
Albania provides 21 EOD engineer and Montenegro provides a reconnaissance squad.

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 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.
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 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 detachments of troops from the Luxembourg Army.
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.

Battle Group Poland

The Poland-based multinational battalion Battle Group, known as Battle Group Poland, is currently led by the United States Army's 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment 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 near the Suwalki Gap.