Gallery: Extreme cold tests NATO cadets in Estonia's winter combat training
As harsh winter conditions continue and the freeze deepens, Estonian Military Academy cadets and students from 19 NATO allied nations are getting a firsthand taste of winter combat training.
The academy's weeklong winter warfare course at the Estonian Defense Forces' (EDF) Nursipalu and Tsiatsungõlmaa training areas in Southeastern Estonia covers survival, combat and tactical skills, with all instruction and leadership conducted in English.
With daily daytime highs firmly below -10 degrees Celsius and nights dipping even lower, course instructor Lt. Timo Hunt said the harsh winter weather has been the toughest challenge this year.
"Winter operations mean constantly having to adjust your clothing, and all tasks take at least twice as much time or energy," Hunt explained, noting that students have had to push themselves mentally and physically this week.
The course covers the basics of winter operations, proper use and maintenance of cold-weather equipment as well as winter-specific nutrition and hydration.
Participants also receive hands-on training in squad- and platoon-level ambushes, trench assaults, defensive maneuvers and live-fire exercises both day and night.
A signature element of the course is a controlled ice-hole immersion, giving cadets a supervised opportunity to practice safe exit techniques.
"Falling into [ice-cold] water and spending the night under a poncho tent have been the hardest exercises mentally," Hunt noted.
Firsthand winter training 'worth the hardships'
Participating allied cadets have praised the course, including the major challenge posed by the weather. "Temperatures like this are a first-time experience for most of them," the Estonian instructor said.
All allied cadets who have taken the course have completed it successfully, he added.
Polish instructor Lt. Warso, observing the course, thanked the Estonian Military Academy and instructors for the opportunity.
"This is the perfect time to learn how Estonia operates in such a specific combat environment," Warso said. From the ice-hole drill to Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE), the training is demanding but reflects realistic scenarios.
"The Polish cadets believe the course is worth the hardships of these extreme conditions," he added.
This year's winter warfare course includes cadets from the Estonian Military Academy as well as 19 allied military school cadets from Portugal, Latvia, Croatia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Greece.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
