The United Kingdom will change the format of its military presence in Estonia, withdrawing Challenger 2 tanks and replacing the armored group with mobile anti-tank forces equipped with modern weapons and drones. This decision was made taking into account the experience of the war in Ukraine and the Hedgehog 2025 exercises, reports Defense Express, writes UNN.
Details
According to the new defense cooperation roadmap, the size of the British contingent in Estonia will increase from 800 to 1,200 military personnel. The new Mobile Anti-Armour Force (MAAF) will receive highly mobile equipment, modern weapons, and drones adapted to the country's conditions.
Defense Express notes that the new format should ensure higher mobility, survivability, more effective management, and wider use of reconnaissance and strike unmanned systems. An important role will also be played by the digital headquarters system Asgard based on artificial intelligence, which was tested during the Hedgehog exercises in 2025.
Ukrainian experience became one of the key factors for change
During the Hedgehog exercises involving about 16,000 troops from 12 NATO countries and Ukraine, Ukrainian drone operators, together with Estonian military personnel, conditionally "destroyed" two enemy battalions in one day.
As the publication notes, the United Kingdom continues to change its military doctrine, transitioning from heavy mechanized units to more mobile formations with extensive use of unmanned and autonomous systems.