NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroups
Units deployed in the Baltics and Poland as of late 2023
Estonia
NATO Battlegroup Estonia is led by the United Kingdom, contributing a large part of the Task Force’s combat power and enablers.
The mechanized infantry element currently consists of 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (rotated in September 2023) mounted on Warrior and Bulldog AFVs.
Tank support is likely provided by a Squadron (Company1) from the Queen’s Royal Hussars employing Challenger 2 MBTs.
B Battery from the 1st Royal Horse Artillery Regiment is attached, using AS-90 (155mm) SPHs.
The MLRS component is D Battery of the 3rd Royal Horse Artillery Regiment (rotated in September 2023) with its M270 systems.
5th Armored Engineer Squadron from the 22nd Engineer Regiment provides support using Trojan AEVs.
Other attached units include unspecified Reconnaissance Assets (with attached JTACs) and a Theatre Support Squadron in charge of the Battlegroup’s sustainment.
Training with Chinooks has been observed but the specific unit they belong to could not be determined.
The second major contribution to Battlegroup Estonia is provided by France.
The 2nd Company from the 1st Infantry Regiment mounted on Griffon and VAB APCs is the main maneuver element.
Armored support comes from a Company of the 1st Chasseurs Regiment on Leclerc MBTs.
A wheeled self-propelled artillery Battery from the 11th Marine Artillery Regiment employing CAESAR 6x6 SPHs.
An engineer Company from the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment.
The third element, in cooperation between Denmark and Iceland, is not currently in-country but it usually includes the main armored element of the Battlegroup.
A tank Squadron from the 1st Battalion, Jutland Dragoon Regiment, 2nd Brigade using Leopard 2A7 DK MBTs
An unspecified danish logistics element.
Various other support units, including Military Police for movement on civilian roads and a strategic communications civilian from Iceland.
Latvia
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NATO Battlegroup Latvia is led by Canada who have pledged to expand the deployment into a full-sized Brigade by 2026, starting in summer 2023 with the addition of a Leopard 2 Squadron.
The mechanized Company currently seems to be “Cerberus” from 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment mounted on LAV 6.0 APCs.
The tank Company is B Squadron from Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), with 15 Leopard 2 MBTs.
Artillery support is provided by E Battery, 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery using M777 howitzers. The element is supported by a component of forward observers.
An unspecified Engineer Component is also part of the Canadian contingent.
The Battlegroup’s Signals Company is largely Canadian, including an EW Troop and other nations’ contributions.
The Battlegroup’s combat service Support Company, named “Atlas” is also Canadian.
Most other contingents retain their own smaller National Support Elements.
The second maneuver unit contributing to eFP Latvia comes from Italy, with the current rotation being based on the 132nd Armored Brigade.
The 3rd mechanized infantry Company “Nassiriya” from XI Bersaglieri Battalion, 11th Bersaglieri Regiment is the main component, mounted on VCC Dardo IFVs.
Spike ATGM teams are also attached, along with JTACs from 7th Alpini Regiment.
A tank Platoon, possibly augmented to two, from VIII Tank Battalion, 132nd Tank Regiment is attached, using C1 Ariete MBTs.
The reconnaissance element is a cavalry Platoon from 5th Cavalry Regiment (Lancieri di Novara) mounted on B1 Centauro AFVs.
The Italian contingent also includes two air defense Platoons from the 17th and 121st Air Defense Regiments, both employing Skyguard Aspide systems.
Other contributions include a signals element from 7th and 46th Signals Regiments, an engineer Platoon from 3rd Engineer-Sapper Regiment and a CBRN Protection Platoon from 7th CBRN Defense Regiment on VAB APCs.
The National Support Element is from 132nd Armored Brigade.
The Spanish contingent is the third main maneuver element.
Mechanized infantry Company “Pelayo” from I Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment is the main body, mounted on Pizarro IFVs and M113 APCs.
It includes a heavy weapons supporting Platoon with 120mm mortars carried by M113s and ATGM, sniper and UAS teams.
A tank Platoon from 61st Armored Regiment supports the Spanish element with Leopard 2E MBTs.
Self-propelled artillery Battery “Hispania” from 11th Field Artillery Regiment provides indirect fire using M109A5 howitzers.
An air-defense Battery from 73rd Anti-Air Artillery Regiment is deployed with its NASAMS.
The Battlegroup’s combat engineer Company “Lizard” is mostly Spanish and includes bridging equipment.
Poland provides the main armored element of eFP Latvia.
Tank Company “Scorpions” from 9th Armored Cavalry Brigade using PT-91 MBTs.
A Signals Element is included, possibly subordinated to the main (multi-national) signals Company when necessary.
The Polish National Support Element also provides maintenance for the PT-91s.
The Slovenian contingent includes artillery and supporting units.
An Artillery Battery based on TN90 towed guns is co-employed with North Macedonia and Montenegro.
A JTAC team, possibly multiple.
A CBRN Platoon mounted on Valuk APCs.
The National Support Element and Military Police for civilian road movements.
Slovakia also contributes to the Battlegroup’s artillery element (overall close to Battalion-size).
Self-propelled (wheeled) artillery Battery from the Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion, 2nd Mechanized Brigade is deployed with Zuzana howitzers.
Czechia provides an engineer element.
An engineer Company from 151st Battalion, 15th Engineer Regiment uses MV-3 mine throwers as the main counter-mobility unit in the Battlegroup.
Albania contributes with an EOD Platoon.
North Macedonia has personnel in both the Slovenian artillery Battery and the CBRN element.
Montenegro has personnel within the Slovenian artillery Battery.
Due to the vast variety of contributions in the Battlegroup, i created a vague estimate of a possible Command structure (pure speculation, not evidence-based).
Lithuania
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NATO Battlegroup Lithuania is led by Germany who, similarly to Canada in Latvia, have plans to permanently base a Brigade (possibly the 41st Panzergrenadier) in the Baltic country by 2026.
Currently, the contingent contributes to the Battlegroup (a reinforced Battalion).
The mechanized infantry Company is possibly the 3rd from 411th Battalion, 41st Panzergrenadier Brigade mounted on Marder 1A3 IFVs and Boxer APCs.
The only tank Company in the Battlegroup is the 1st from 363rd Tank Battalion, 12th Panzer Brigade with Leopard 2A6 MBTs.
A reconnaissance Platoon from 1st Company, 6th Reconnaissance Battalion, 41st PzGr Brigade is also attached on its Fennek recon vehicles.
Fire support is provided by 1st Battery, 131st Artillery Battalion using PzH-2000 SPHs.
An Engineer Element is attached from 803rd Panzer Engineer Battalion with Leopard-based AEV-3 Kodiak engineering vehicles and Leguan bridgelayers.
The Battlegroup’s Medical Station includes personnel from several contingents.
Both a security Platoon and Military Police have been seen mentioned, possibly referring to the same personnel.
The main logistics element of the Battlegroup seems to be the 3rd CSS Company from the 4th Supply Battalion, 12th Panzer Brigade.
In all likelihood, all other contingents have National Support Element units but these are rarely specifically mentioned.
The second maneuver Company and other units are from the Netherlands.
The mechanized infantry Company is “Cobra” from 44th Armored Infantry Battalion, 43rd Mechanized Brigade mounted on CV-90 IFVs.
A reconnaissance Platoon is attached, also from 44th Armored Infantry Battalion, on Fennek recon vehicles.
The Dutch combat engineer Platoon belongs to 112th Armored Engineer Company, 11th Armored Engineer Battalion equipped with Boxer AEGVs.
The Battlegroup’s air defense component is a Platoon from either the 11th or 13th Air Defense Batteries, armed with Stinger-equipped Fennek variants.
The final standard infantry element, along with additional support, is from Belgium.
The motorized infantry Company is from 12th-13th Line Battalion, Motorized Brigade on ATF Dingo MRAPs.
A Mortar Element is attached from the Belgian Artillery Battalion with 120mm wheeled mortars.
The Battlegroup’s final engineering element is a combat engineer Platoon from 67th Combat Engineer Company, 4th Engineer Battalion employing Leopard 1 CEVs among others.
A Signals Element comes from one of Belgium’s Communications and Information Systems Groups.
The main reconnaissance/specialized unit of the Battlegroup is Norwegian.
The 2nd Reconnaissance Company from the Telemark Battalion, Brigade Nord uses CV-90 IFVs and highly mobile ATVs to provide all kinds of reconnaissance, including UAS-based operations.
The norwegian National Support Element from Brigade Nord is specifically mentioned several times.
Czechia provides a specialized element.
A CBRN recce Platoon is attached from the Czech 31st CBRN Protection Regiment and is mounted on modified Iveco LMVs.
Luxembourg provides unspecified logistical support.
The Croatian contingent, generally consisting in an infantry Company from the Guards Mechanized Brigade mounted on Patria AMVs, does not seem to be present in the current (14th) rotation of the Battlegroup.
Seeing as the Belgian element lacked in the 13th rotation, it’s possible these two contingents switch places once a year and only one is ever present in a single rotation.
Poland
NATO Battlegroup Poland is led by the United States, contributing an entire Combined Arms Battalion and additional support.
“Panther” Battalion, 2-69 Armor Regiment from the 2nd Armored BCT, 3rd Infantry Division is the current CAB. It includes two M1A2 Abrams SEP v3 Companies, an M2 Bradley Company and a Forward Support Company.
Attached artillery is a Battery from 4th Battalion, 29th Artillery Regiment of the 2nd Armored BCT, 1st Armored Division using M109A7 SPHs.
An Engineer Element is attached from the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion (belonging to 2-69’s parent BCT).
The reconnaissance element is from the United Kingdom.
Eagle Troop from A Squadron, 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards provides light recce capabilities mounted on Jackal vehicles.
Croatia provides heavy fire support.
“Iron Boars” artillery Battery is from the Artillery Battalion, Armored Guards Brigade with its PzH-2000 SPHs.
Air cover is Romanian.
Recently rotated in is the “Transylvania Gepards” anti-air Battery from 3rd Anti-air Defense Battalion, 81st Mechanized Brigade using Flakpanzer Gepard SPAAGs.
Final considerations
Most units involved in the Battlegroups are rotated on a 6-month basis, generally lasting January through June and July through December respectively.
As such, many of the units listed here will return home within the next two months.
I will likely be covering the following rotation in the spring after collecting information during the first months of 2024.
Note: in some Commonwealth (and other) nations, a “Squadron” is equal in echelon to a NATO-standard company and a “Troop” is equal in echelon to a NATO-standard platoon