RAF Chinooks deployed to the Baltic region as Aviation Task Force 3 on Operation PELEDA for multinational Exercise Winter Camp.
They were based at Amari Air Base to support the Agile Task Force and the British-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence Estonia.
Estonian Defence League, French and UK troops conducting training with Chinook (CH47) helicopters of the RAF's Aviation Task Force 28th January 2023, in preparation for Exercise Winter Camp. Troops had to learn how to tactically and safely embark and disembark the CH47 prior to doing this in a tactical environment on Exercise Winter Camp.
The UK troops were the lead component of the NATO multinational enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup (enhanced Forward Presence BG) with French troops being deployed as part of a temporary surge to ensure more French military are trained in operating in a multinational environment in Estonia. Concurrently, British Army Challenger 2 tank crews conducted armoured training with Estonian Defence League to continue their training in anti-armour tactics. Estonian Defence League were preparing to act as enemy forces during Winter Camp and were training to respond to facing armoured capabilities.
Exercise Winter Camp was a two week long multinational exercise, taking place in February 2023. The intent was to bring together the combined arms capabilities of the multinational enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup and the 1st Estonian Brigade. A further surge of troops from the French Army and CH47 helicopter assets from the RAF Aviation Task Force were incorporated into the training.
