Home  /  BALTIC AMBER Magazine  /  MULTI-DOMAIN INTEGRATION: LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER TO BECOME STRONGER TOGETHER

The use of multiple assets across a variety of environments and domains is often grouped together under one umbrella term – ‘multi-domain integration’. This term is thrown around and used so frequently in a military environment that it can have many different interpretations and often becomes overcomplicated. In order to make sense of something and really understand and utilise the benefits, we need to see it in action. The main benefit is being able to learn from one another, which, in turn, ensures all contributing nations are able to operate as one cohesive fighting force. Knowing each other’s procedures, building relationships, understanding ways of working, process and, most of all, working around the language barrier, helps to make military activity run a lot smoother.

Running around all day looking for activity, you often find yourself at the forefront of the action. Following soldiers on the exercise, you will often find yourself at the centre of multi-domain integration without even realising. One minute you are standing in a car park in a small village in south Estonia and the next, Estonian soldiers are clearing the area, whilst British soldiers radio loudly giving direction. It soon becomes apparent that something is about to happen. Before you know it, British Wildcat Helicopters are being signalled to land on the car park in order to refuel and collect supplies – called in by land forces, as part of the exercise.

Estonia’s largest exercise Hedgehog or, as codenamed in Estonian, Siil combines the land, maritime and air domains to test capabilities and readiness of the Estonian Defence Forces and Estonian Defence League. It draws on numerous capabilities from across the NATO Alliance and other European partners, ensuring they can train and fight alongside their Estonian counterparts. In 2022, over 1,200 Allied soldiers represented the NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Estonia Battlegroup from the UK, France and Denmark, and additionally over 500 personnel from The Royal Tank Regiment’s Agile Task Force also took part. They were joined by other NATO troops from the US and Latvia, as well as by partners including Finland, Sweden, Georgia and Ukraine, all undertaking a variety of roles on the exercise.

eFP soldiers on exercise Hedgehog 22. Photo by NATO

For the eFP, although a summer exercise forms part of the annual training serials, exercise Hedgehog was to be one of the most demanding yet rewarding training activities to date. In its fifth year, it is evident that the eFP still continues to enjoy and learn from their work alongside the Estonians. The eFP Estonia Commander, Colonel Dai Bevan, acknowledges this and says it is “an opportunity to offer a realistic training scenario”. Asked about the benefits of multi-domain working, COL Bevan states that it is a chance to “develop a full range of capabilities” but most importantly “continue co-operation” with existing partners and develop ways of working with new partner units, like the 2nd Estonian Brigade.

The eFP worked alongside its 1st Estonian Brigade partners attacking key positions across the southern region of Estonia, whilst the Agile Task Force, deployed to Estonia as part of the UK’s commitment to bolster forces in the region, supported the Estonian 2nd Brigade in defending these positions.

Split into three main locations, the training exercise focused on the ability to operate in urban terrain along the Estonia-Latvia border of Võru County, whilst Naval and amphibious fleet and personnel focused on manoeuvres and defence of the islands and Baltic Sea. Elsewhere, artillery and live fire support was at the forefront of activity on the Central Training Area, near Tapa in northern Estonia. The purpose of this – to demonstrate multi-domain integration and interoperability in multiple areas.

The exercise was on a scale not seen before, with over 15,000 troops taking part from across ten countries. With that can come specific challenges and none more so than the ability to operate across a variety of environments.

Exercise HEDGEHOG provided an opportunity to further expand our shared understanding and network of Subject Matter Experts. It was an excellent venue to tap simultaneously into multiple exercise settings, advise or support as required. It allowed us to observe and understand the requirements and realities of combined arms fight. Connectivity, interoperability and information flow were the key topics while shifting from one to another exercise setting. Regardless of technical aspects, face to face human interaction in functional areas continue to bolster the relationships between the NFIU personnel and the Host Nation for times to come.

Colonel Mart Vendla, the Estonian Air Force, 
the former Commander of NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU) Estonia

However, there is something special about seeing all domains interplay and come together. Going from one forest serial with the Estonians engaging with Danish forces to a roadside field with British Typhoon jets flying at 500ft overhead, demonstrating a show of force as tanks and armoured vehicles roll by on the ground below. This being a prime example of how and why multi domain integration works – being so busy watching the jets overhead, enemy forces completely miss the huge vehicles making advances behind them. Belgian F-16s and French Mirage Aircraft, both based at Amari Air Base and carrying out NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, also took part in the exercise.

This was not all. The maritime domain also played its part in exercise Hedgehog, using the Baltic Sea as a key position to test its ability to support land and air activity. The Estonian Navy put this into practice and operated out of Saaremaa, off Estonia’s western coastline. Defending the Irbe straights, the Estonian Navy used new radar systems for the first time at sea and were able to detect the movements of opposition forces and transmit information to land forces on the ground. Providing full visibility updates on their surroundings, the ships could see as far as Latvia.

But how does all of this fit together in an exercise that was taking place in multiple areas across Estonia? At first thought, this question is completely just. In theory, the planning of such an exercise with so many locations, assets and personnel seems too complex to be true. When operating on the ground you can see first-hand how information sharing from different domains can benefit one another. Whether this be the Estonian Navy updating land forces on opposition movement, or land forces calling in a ‘show of force’ from combat fighter jets. Each component needs each other to make the exercise the success it was.

Exercise Hedgehog was also slightly unique this year because it was an exercise within an exercise. The Estonian Defence Forces used this as an opportunity to test their communications, cyber and reactive handling as part of a separate cell. Using two separate bases in Võru and Tallinn, the Estonians were monitoring what was happening on the ground and transferring this into real-life scenarios, demonstrating how they would handle threats, the media and react to emerging events. It was a real test of determination and resilience. Real masters at work.

The exercise was embedded in a variety of intertwined activities, like Exercise Defender Europe 22 and the Deterrence Operation Neptune Shield. Some participating forces belonged simultaneously to all these activities, of particular note was the main part of the American Kearsarge Amphibious Readiness Group consisting of two Amphibious support ships and a frigate as well as the embarked US 22 Marine Expeditionary Unit, all of which was transferred to NATO on May 17-31, 2022 under the command of Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO.

Commander Grisha Poweleit, the US Navy, J3/5 NFIU Estonia

US beach landings during exercise Hedgehog 22
Photo by NATO

Typhoon aircrafts conducting their tasks during exercise Hedgehog 22. 
Photo by NATO

Although somewhat unusual by name, exercise Hedgehog means something to each conscript, reservist or regular soldier taking part. In Estonian culture, the hedgehog is said to have a spine to represent each military unit that makes up the Estonian Defence Forces. The hedgehog is also seen to be a wise creature which is not aggressive but knows how to defend itself if attacked, an ethos which the Estonian Forces aim to demonstrate across all of their activity.

So, what is the key takeaway from all of this? Multi-domain integration opens up the opportunities for nations to train together, learn from one another and develop as one credible fighting force.

As the vast military exercise came to a close and the final whistle was blown signifying ‘ENDEX’, the Commander of the Estonian Defence League’s Southern Command, Lieuteneny Colonel Kaido Tiitus, provided the closing remarks and summed up why all of these domains interplaying together was important – simply, “together we are stronger”, he said to the thousands of soldiers in front of him.

Exercise Hedgehog was a test on many fronts, given the scale and complexity of so many personnel and countries involved. But it is true, we are #StrongerTogether.

Overall, the exercise was a success from an NFIU perspective. It was a demonstration of NATO’s deterrence and the 2022 iteration was particularly poignant following the 24 February and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Exercise Hedgehog has had a number of ‘so what’s’ for NFIU Estonia, it has proven that we are ready, willing and capable to support the Host Nation and be part of the collective effort in the region. The NFIU was able to demonstrate and support the exercise both at a working level and in support of the higher headquarters and the wider NATO mission. The NFIU was also able to increase knowledge and enhance working relationships.

Wing Commander Vincent Jackson, the Royal Air Force, 
the former Deputy Commander of NFIU Estonia