08 November 2019

UK deploys enhanced armour Warrior IFVs to Estonia

by Tim Ripley

Enhanced armour Warrior infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) have been deployed to Estonia as part of a rotation of the equipment for the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) battlegroup.

Warrior IFVs, sporting the baseline element of a modular armour package that can be tailored to specific threats, being loaded at the British Army’s Ludgershall vehicle depot as part of the UK’s ‘Tractable’ deployment. (British Army/Crown copyright)

The vehicles, which are new to the eFP, were identified in video and still imagery released by the British Army showing the equipment rotation, dubbed ‘Tractable’.

Until now the Warriors on duty in Estonia have been standard vehicles from the British Army training fleet with no theatre-specific enhancements. In the imagery the Warriors appeared to be fitted with plates along the length of their hulls, which is the baseline element of a modular armour package that can be tailored to specific threats by adding additional armour elements. British Army sources said it is designated Operational Equipment Standard 3 (OES3), an evolution of the Theatre Entry Standard armoured packages developed for the Iraq and Afghan campaigns. Other OES vehicles were deployed for Exercise 'Saif Sareea' in Oman in October and November 2018 but they had a different combination of armour elements.

‘Tractable’, held between mid-October and 5 November, involved the first complete rotation of the battlegroup’s entire British Army armoured vehicle fleet since UK troops were deployed to Estonia in early 2017. This rotation also involved handing over the UK’s eFP commitment from the King’s Royal Hussars to the Queen’s Royal Hussars.

Enhanced armour Warrior infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) have been deployed to Estonia as part of a...

Jane's Find unrivaled intelligence, consultancy and advertising solutions to the defence and national security sectors.