0:00:02 > 0:00:06This programme contains strong language
0:00:06 > 0:00:11The British Army in 2017 finds itself in uncharted territory.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13RADIO CHATTERING
0:00:13 > 0:00:15They've not been at war for three years.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16GUNFIRE
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Move!
0:00:20 > 0:00:24After controversial campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28there's a political reluctance to put boots on the ground.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Don't bomb Syria! Don't bomb Syria!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33There's also widespread opposition to military intervention.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Don't bomb Syria! Don't bomb Syria!
0:00:37 > 0:00:40The Army's budgets are under increasing pressure.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46They could go on manoeuvre without firing ammunition.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50It saves you 2 million of the 3.8 that you hope to save.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53You know, the British Army is smaller than it's been probably
0:00:53 > 0:00:56since Cromwell's day, and I would want to look myself very closely
0:00:56 > 0:00:59in the mirror if I felt that there was a risk of the Army being sent
0:00:59 > 0:01:02to do something that it wasn't properly prepared to do.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04GUNFIRE
0:01:04 > 0:01:08But, now, with the rise of the so-called Islamic State...
0:01:10 > 0:01:13..the threat of a new Cold War in Eastern Europe...
0:01:13 > 0:01:15GUNFIRE
0:01:15 > 0:01:16Wait!
0:01:16 > 0:01:17INDISTINCT COMMAND
0:01:17 > 0:01:20..and famine and conflict in sub-Saharan Africa...
0:01:22 > 0:01:26..the British Army have to play a new role in a deeply unstable world.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29How many patients do you usually see a day?
0:01:29 > 0:01:31700 to 800.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Filmed over 18 months,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38this series takes us into the heart of the British Army.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43- How many Russians are across the border? 100,000-odd?- Yeah, a lot.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Through the eyes of the rank-and-file...
0:01:46 > 0:01:49No-one else has operated in Estonia before.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52This is completely different from Afghanistan and Iraq.
0:01:54 > 0:01:55..and the leaders...
0:01:55 > 0:01:57General, how are you?
0:01:57 > 0:01:59- Nice to see you, hello. - Very nice to see you, too.
0:01:59 > 0:02:05..we see the challenges of fighting wars when we are not at war.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Days of going out and fighting the enemy such as Isis,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12for reasons above our pay grade, that doesn't happen any more.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16In this episode, the Army is sent to Estonia
0:02:16 > 0:02:19on the front line of a new Cold War.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22To let you cross the river, over.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24They're talking about bears.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26They've got bears.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29They genuinely think that an attack is imminent.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34And once the anti-tank company has come through,
0:02:34 > 0:02:38then I will push some reconnaissance and snipers just slightly forwards,
0:02:38 > 0:02:39up to 2km.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44With a massive build-up of troops,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48the risk of miscalculation is very real.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50We want to reassure the Estonians,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54but what we are not there to do is to provoke the Russians.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Fifth Battalion!
0:02:57 > 0:03:00We will not repeat the mistakes of the past.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05We will never go quietly again.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Can the British Army deter Russian expansion into Eastern Europe
0:03:11 > 0:03:15and avoid being drawn into a costly new war?
0:03:40 > 0:03:44150 British soldiers from 5 Rifles
0:03:44 > 0:03:48are training for a planned Nato operation along the Russian border.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53We're doing a two part, two phase operation, which will ultimately
0:03:53 > 0:03:57see us defeating the enemy in and around Kovlar.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01We're down in the foothills to the north of Du Bois Hill.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Tango 17.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Our mission, then - strike and secure.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Major Ben Casson leads 100 soldiers in B Company.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17GUNFIRE
0:04:17 > 0:04:22Today, 5 Rifles must clear a town occupied by enemy forces.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Go, go, go, go.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26GUNFIRE
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Two zero golf, two zero alpha...
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Ben has served in the British Army for 19 years.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37We try and keep it as calm as possible...
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- GUNFIRE - ..cos when everyone's screaming,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42it just gives away where your positions are.
0:04:42 > 0:04:43GUNFIRE
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- OFF-SCREEN:- The Army becomes your whole life.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I wouldn't go as far as addiction, but,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51there is definite enjoyment to it.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52In the last decade,
0:04:52 > 0:04:565 Rifles fought insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59There's an enemy in the top window of the opposite building.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Afghanistan has taken a horrendous toll on our regiment.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04Absolutely horrendous.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07You'll struggle to find anyone who hasn't lost a friend.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Anyone injured?
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Of course it affects you.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15But I'd also say, our tolerance is much higher than average.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16GUNFIRE
0:05:16 > 0:05:19I always found it amusing when people talked about
0:05:19 > 0:05:23a below knee amputee in Afghanistan being a scratch.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27And, you know, that kind of... there's a black humour there.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44RADIO CHATTER
0:05:44 > 0:05:47But, now, as relationships between the West and Russia
0:05:47 > 0:05:51have deteriorated, they could be facing a much more formidable enemy.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Many in B Company are new recruits.
0:06:03 > 0:06:0520-year-old Piers Drinkall wasn't even born
0:06:05 > 0:06:07when the last Cold War ended.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11I've always wanted to join the Army.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15When you're ten years old,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17it's every kid's dream - going around the woods,
0:06:17 > 0:06:21little plastic rifles, playing sort of toy soldiers and all that.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22So, as soon as I was old enough,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24I went straight to the recruiting office.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Best year of my life so far, going through training, getting out here,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32meeting all the guys. It's been really good.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38The world's changing a lot.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40You certainly wouldn't wish for a war or anything, but, yeah,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43you know, I would like to put my training to use
0:06:43 > 0:06:45and do the real thing at some point.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49You will be asking those guys
0:06:49 > 0:06:52to go into situations where some of them
0:06:52 > 0:06:55might not come back in the same way that they went in there.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02My responsibility is to ensure that you've given them the training
0:07:02 > 0:07:05to make them as survivable as possible.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18In the last ten years,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22a resurgent Russia has invaded two neighbouring countries -
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Georgia and Ukraine.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Former Eastern Bloc states
0:07:29 > 0:07:34who joined Nato after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991
0:07:34 > 0:07:35worry they could be next.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40I think there's a clear and credible threat to the Baltic states.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42And absolutely it's appropriate
0:07:42 > 0:07:44that we stand shoulder to shoulder with them
0:07:44 > 0:07:46and provide a deterrent to the Russians.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53We're very keen to see that if you go out the door
0:07:53 > 0:07:57and fight Her Majesty's enemies, you win at the tactical level.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58That's what we care about deeply.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02This is a video taken in the last 18 months
0:08:02 > 0:08:05in a theatre that Nato's looking at very closely
0:08:05 > 0:08:10where we're going to see the Russians firing joint fires
0:08:10 > 0:08:12at Ukrainian forces.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15We're going to see it from the Russian end and the Ukrainian end.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16This is what we're training you against.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19This is what I want you to convey to your soldiers. OK?
0:08:25 > 0:08:27I look at it, I wouldn't like to be on the end of it.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33We have to be clear that the last ten or so years,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35whilst very capable adversaries,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38they're very different to what we're set-up for.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41A near peer enemy is a whole different beast.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45It would be like us fighting another armoured infantry battle group
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and will require a level of ability
0:08:48 > 0:08:53that perhaps we've not exercised for some time.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Let's hope we don't find ourselves in that position.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58I hope the message is clear,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01we're going to be facing brutal enemies
0:09:01 > 0:09:02next time we deploy with Nato.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11In a matter of months, 5 Rifles will be sent to protect Estonia,
0:09:11 > 0:09:12a country which borders Russia
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and was previously occupied by the Soviet Union
0:09:15 > 0:09:17the nearly 50 years.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21It now faces the very real threat of invasion.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Since Putin came to power in 2000,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Russia has been rebuilding its military might.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38It has 770,000 soldiers
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and more tanks than any other country.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44It spends a third of its national budget on defence.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54By contrast, the British Army has been hit by years of austerity cuts.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57So the question we're asking
0:09:57 > 0:10:01is have we as a nation cut too far in defence
0:10:01 > 0:10:04or should we rethink our ambitions on the global stage?
0:10:06 > 0:10:10These latest redundancies confirm the British Army's getting smaller.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13It'll leave the regular Army
0:10:13 > 0:10:16a quarter of the size it was half a century ago.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20In 1960, it was 315,000 strong
0:10:20 > 0:10:24and by 2017, it'll stand at 82,000.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33General Sir Nicholas Carter, the head of the British Army,
0:10:33 > 0:10:38has to oversee the biggest budget cuts the Army has faced in decades.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40There are some really quite important issues to get
0:10:40 > 0:10:43our minds around. And people, I think, always knew that we were
0:10:43 > 0:10:46going to have to make some judgments about where we stand end year...
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Today, he's meeting with the executive board of the Army.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53And deferring refurbishing the...
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Millions of pounds need to be saved this year.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00And it's significantly reduced.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03General Carter may have to scale down the training in Canada
0:11:03 > 0:11:05known as Exercise Prairie Storm.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11An awful lot of what we have to do here is that we have got to present
0:11:11 > 0:11:15a position to the centre of defence which demonstrates that,
0:11:15 > 0:11:20if you play with us in year, this is the impact that it has.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23So, cancel Prairie Storm Four, for example?
0:11:23 > 0:11:26They could go on manoeuvre without firing ammunition
0:11:26 > 0:11:29and, you know, it saves you, what,
0:11:29 > 0:11:322 million of the 3.8 that you hope to save.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34It may well be that the easiest solution
0:11:34 > 0:11:38is for the troops that are involved in Prairie Storm
0:11:38 > 0:11:41to go on what is a new exercise in Kenya with others, I don't know.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Because it's not going to an area that you plan to go to often,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46it costs you more money in the long run.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49We need to use our imagination to mitigate the effect of this,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52whilst demonstrating that we have taken, um,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55a measure that cuts off our big toe in the meantime.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02The British Army is smaller than it's been, probably,
0:12:02 > 0:12:03since Cromwell's day,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06and therefore we have to think imaginatively about how we can
0:12:06 > 0:12:08maximise the potential of all of the manpower.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15I think it's always hard when you're making those sorts of choices.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17I think it's why it's important
0:12:17 > 0:12:20that military people still make these decisions
0:12:20 > 0:12:22and that ultimately we carry the risk
0:12:22 > 0:12:25in the event of the Army going off to do its final task,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27which is to fight.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32I would want to look myself very closely in the mirror
0:12:32 > 0:12:35if I felt that there was a risk of the Army being sent to do something
0:12:35 > 0:12:37that it wasn't properly prepared to do.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50With falling troop numbers and less money,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52the Army has to be creative about how it protects Britain
0:12:52 > 0:12:54from its enemies.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00The West and Russia
0:13:00 > 0:13:03have been on a heightened state of tension since 2014
0:13:03 > 0:13:07when Russia seized the Ukrainian region of Crimea
0:13:07 > 0:13:11and also began secretly arming pro-Russian separatists
0:13:11 > 0:13:13fighting in Eastern Ukraine.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17But as Ukraine is not part of Nato,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20no Western troops have been deployed to fight.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39The war in Eastern Ukraine continues to rage.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Now, with extra fighters and artillery pouring into the region,
0:13:43 > 0:13:48the fear is that the situation will grow even worse.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51The United States blames Russia for arming the separatists
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and for once again massing its troops on the border.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57That's why it's issued these new sanctions.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05OK, so,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07we'll be going through lessons
0:14:07 > 0:14:10in regards of how to move tactically
0:14:10 > 0:14:14from building to building and also doing entry, room entry.
0:14:14 > 0:14:15Now, as you're aware, and you can feel it already,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17it's very, very cold today, OK,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19and it's going to get colder during the day.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20Keep motivated, OK?
0:14:22 > 0:14:23The first part of the lesson,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26if you all want to stand on top so you can see this part
0:14:26 > 0:14:30and to the entrance of the building, there.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Sergeant Collins and 50 British soldiers from 1 Mercian
0:14:34 > 0:14:36are not here to fight.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39They have just two weeks
0:14:39 > 0:14:42to train Ukrainian soldiers to defend their country.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Make sure you get to the front where you can see me.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Right, OK, just raise your hands, OK,
0:14:51 > 0:14:56if you've had any experience in regards of route clearances in the past.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58HE TRANSLATES
0:15:03 > 0:15:06I joined in 1998, straight to Bosnia for six months,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09just when the Bosnia-Kosovo war and that was kicking off.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13OK, so now, Charlie and Elf, OK, at the edges of the building,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16and Delta are staying where they are now, as you can see.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Two tours of Afghanistan and Ukraine, as well.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22THEY LISTEN TO TRANSLATION
0:15:22 > 0:15:25In regards of action, plenty of it.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Enjoyed it, really did.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Once it happens, it is like a drug
0:15:29 > 0:15:31and you just want more and more of it.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43All attempts to broker peace in Eastern Ukraine have failed.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49By training the Ukrainians,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Nato and Britain hope to slow down Russian expansionism
0:15:52 > 0:15:54without being directly drawn into the conflict.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54The Ukrainian army has been completely overwhelmed by Russian military might.
0:16:56 > 0:17:023,500 Ukrainian soldiers and 2,700 civilians have been killed.
0:17:06 > 0:17:111.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24During the three-hour period
0:17:24 > 0:17:28we'll come forward and attack the guys defending the buildings
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and they'll have to stand to and repel the attack.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Any questions?
0:17:36 > 0:17:42Sergeant Major Andrew McNulty is in charge of the final test for the Ukrainian soldiers.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47The bar's pretty low in terms of they've done two weeks training.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49They might deploy,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53so it's just using this as a vehicle to put them in a tactical situation,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56to give them half a chance when they get there.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59You know what's waiting for them, and, er...
0:18:00 > 0:18:03You know, some of these lads will be killed before...
0:18:03 > 0:18:07..the next unit get out here, so, yeah, it's tough. Hm.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15It's good to see everyone's got the enthusiasm and the energy,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17despite the weather.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Corporal Andrew Barton will lead a defending force.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23- You all right, David, yeah? - HE TRANSLATES
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Yeah? OK, so we're going to patrol back now...
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Have you got eyes on these people at the rear of the building?
0:19:13 > 0:19:15GUNFIRE
0:19:20 > 0:19:22OK, double up, double up.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Slow.
0:19:25 > 0:19:26Together, together.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30OK, conserve your ammunition.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Watch and shoot, watch and shoot.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36If I'm brutally honest, it is an extreme ramp up,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38so a very steep learning curve,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41but with the time that we've got, we have to put them under pressure.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45OK, so, stand back from the window and make sure your weapon's ready
0:19:45 > 0:19:47just in case you ever need to use it.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Just straight up in the shoulder.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52The one thing I want to leave them with, I mean,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55whenever I've seen somebody being killed,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57it's because they've not been paying attention
0:19:57 > 0:19:59or doing the basic drill right.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02OK, so stand to, double up.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10There's a couple of guys killed every day, probably ten wounded.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16I think they're doing the dirty work for Europe at the minute,
0:20:16 > 0:20:17putting their head on the block.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Linear. Linear, linear.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24You peel.
0:20:24 > 0:20:25Peel. Wait.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27You fucking peel!
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Yeah, peel. Peel from the fucking far left!
0:20:32 > 0:20:35In this politically sensitive conflict,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37they are not the aggressors in this.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41What we try and teach them is how to defend their country,
0:20:41 > 0:20:42how to protect their borders
0:20:42 > 0:20:44and ultimately how to protect their people.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Training the Ukrainian army
0:20:49 > 0:20:51is a cost-effective way for British soldiers
0:20:51 > 0:20:54to learn first-hand how the Russians fight.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58By seeing guys that have come back from the front line,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01we're also trying to sponge as much information as we can
0:21:01 > 0:21:04as to the types of situations they're coming across,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08the types of enemy and casualties that they're encountering.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12The firepower that they have against them is being monitored.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16We have heard of a quite horrific situation,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18so some people will come back and share their stories.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Some people will come back
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and they're not so willing to speak about their experiences.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27Within the British Army now, you've got 300 or so blokes
0:21:27 > 0:21:31who understand the tactics and the nature of the warfare.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34That's worth its weight in gold to the British Army,
0:21:34 > 0:21:39so, yeah, we've learned a lot since we've been here, definitely, definitely.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- Smile.- There will be no smiling.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57David and his unit will now be sent to fight in Eastern Ukraine.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00That's the last day we have together.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04OK, I just want to thank you very much for your effort, your energy, your enthusiasm.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06From all the instructors and the duty staff that have
0:22:06 > 0:22:08been watching you today, you've all done really, really well.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10THEY REPLY IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Happy days. Cheers, guys.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Thank you.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17I am twice as old as David.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19He will surprise people, you know.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23You have to trust that they're going to suck it up and deal with tough times ahead.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25They're a tough people,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27some of them probably tougher than they may appear,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29and I'm sure they'll prove that.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38The war in Ukraine is becoming part of a broader,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42more dangerous confrontation between the West and Russia.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49What is Russia up to in Syria?
0:22:49 > 0:22:51The question people are asking is,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54has Russia stepped up its support to the Assad regime?
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Russia, if you're listening,
0:22:57 > 0:23:03I hope you're able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Russia recently moved a nuclear weapon to Kaliningrad,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16on the doorstep of the Baltic states in Europe...
0:23:20 > 0:23:25..and also increased the number of troops on its western borders to over 300,000.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29In response, Nato will now send
0:23:29 > 0:23:33the largest contingent of troops to Eastern Europe
0:23:33 > 0:23:35since the Cold War.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Now, in the old days it was all about confronting the Soviet Union.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Now it's Vladimir Putin's Russia that's got everyone worried.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51After his military intervention in Ukraine,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54a lot of Eastern European Nato members started fretting
0:23:54 > 0:23:56that they could, in theory, be next.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08It's difficult, I think, to remember a time in my career
0:24:08 > 0:24:11when the strategic context was more complex or more dynamic.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Indeed, it seems to me that the defining condition
0:24:14 > 0:24:16is probably one of instability.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18It seems also that there is a challenge
0:24:18 > 0:24:21to the post World War II basis that we all understood,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23that notion of a global architecture
0:24:23 > 0:24:27that has assured all of our prosperity and security,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29and that seems to come from a resurgent Russia,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and I do worry about the potential threat
0:24:31 > 0:24:34of miscalculation that comes with that.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36We now as an army need to be prepared
0:24:36 > 0:24:38to fight the war we might have to fight, I suspect,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40and not necessarily the war we'd like to fight.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Thank you very much.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46We have to make choices.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49You could deploy the British Army all over the world,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51but we've only got so many people these days,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53and I think it's important that we identify
0:24:53 > 0:24:56where to put our relatively limited resource
0:24:56 > 0:24:58to achieve the best possible effect.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02If we're going to provide security for the nation,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04we do that collectively with other nations.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09I think it's important that Nato countries support those on the edge
0:25:09 > 0:25:13of Nato, to make sure that they feel resilient and reassured.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15And I think that when they're threatened,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17which has been the case with Russia,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20then I think it's important that collectively we step up to the plate
0:25:20 > 0:25:23to say, up with this, we're not prepared to put any more.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Five months after returning from Canada,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44800 soldiers from 5 Rifles
0:25:44 > 0:25:46will be sent to Estonia in a matter of weeks.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Thousands of Russian troops will carry out major manoeuvres
0:25:54 > 0:25:57along the Estonian border in the coming months.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04They genuinely think that an attack is imminent, and if you see the way
0:26:04 > 0:26:06that Russia postures itself,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10huge exercises that they conduct very close to the border,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13and are the same exercises
0:26:13 > 0:26:17that they used to move into Georgia,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Crimea...
0:26:19 > 0:26:22So, these are not without precedent,
0:26:22 > 0:26:27and I think the Estonians have a very clear fear
0:26:27 > 0:26:30that the Russians will use one of those exercises
0:26:30 > 0:26:33as an opportunity to cross the border.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Together with artillery and engineers,
0:26:41 > 0:26:465 Rifles are part of a major Nato operation to prevent Russia
0:26:46 > 0:26:51invading Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56After the activities in the Ukraine,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00there was a very, very understandable nervousness,
0:27:00 > 0:27:01particularly in the Baltic states,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04but across all of the former Soviet states,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06about what Russia was going to do.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10So, particularly in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14those Baltic states feel really, really threatened.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Not least because of Kaliningrad just here.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21So, a bit of Russia that is separate from Russia.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25There have been deliberate cyber attacks in those nations
0:27:25 > 0:27:29to try to undermine the functioning of those states.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33We are to reassure the Estonian government that Nato
0:27:33 > 0:27:37holds true to its promises of collective defence.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41We are also there to deter Russian aggression.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45The actions of all of us will be under extreme scrutiny.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49There's already exploitation across social media.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52We've seen it put out that Germans have raped people.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54They physically were not there yet,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57but the Russians were pushing an agenda that said that
0:27:57 > 0:28:01the Nato German troops were arriving and were raping people
0:28:01 > 0:28:06as evidence that Nato forces are a negative and malign influence.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Part of our footprint is to provide the right balance.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13We are to reassure the Estonians,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16but what we are not there to do is to provoke the Russians.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wilson
0:28:24 > 0:28:27will be the commanding officer of 5 Rifles in Estonia.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32Negative press about their imminent arrival has already begun.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Common term right now is fake news, but what is fake news?
0:28:37 > 0:28:39It's disinformation, it's subversion.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42That is very much something which I think is a novel aspect to this
0:28:42 > 0:28:45in many ways, not something we had to contend with too much
0:28:45 > 0:28:46in Afghanistan or Iraq,
0:28:46 > 0:28:49and something that we are conscious that we will face
0:28:49 > 0:28:52in this new operating environment.
0:28:55 > 0:28:595 Rifles will be in Estonia for nine months.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05They are going heavily armed with 450 vehicles
0:29:05 > 0:29:10including Challenger 2 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12and heavy artillery.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19Alongside 3,000 other Nato troops,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21it is the biggest build-up of forces in Eastern Europe
0:29:21 > 0:29:25since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
0:29:25 > 0:29:26It kicks off from now.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29You need to make sure that how you dress
0:29:29 > 0:29:33and how you appear to the public is of the top form from the very off.
0:29:42 > 0:29:445 Rifles' role will be very different
0:29:44 > 0:29:47to the British soldiers working in Ukraine.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52They are going as a combat force,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55ready to defend Estonia from Russian invasion.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04Six months ago, we were not expecting to come to Estonia.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Many of my soldiers wouldn't even have known
0:30:07 > 0:30:09where Estonia is on a map.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16Post-Cold War, we would have all smugly, simplistically,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19assumed this problem had gone away, and lo and behold, here we are,
0:30:19 > 0:30:21having to secure the northern flank of Nato.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Just apprehension, really. Looking forward to it.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Thinking of what's going to happen
0:30:27 > 0:30:29as soon as we step off the plane when we get there, really.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Obviously, we don't want to let anyone down.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34We're there to help Estonia.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Haven't really thought too much
0:30:36 > 0:30:38about the, kind of, Russians as a whole.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44I've been lucky enough in my short career so far,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46I haven't come under fire.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48Hopefully, if that time ever does come,
0:30:48 > 0:30:50you know, I'll be prepared for it.
0:31:27 > 0:31:315 Rifles will be stationed at Tapa in north-east Estonia.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35The area is strategically important.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39It sits directly on the main route between Russia
0:31:39 > 0:31:41and Estonia's capital, Tallinn.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45If Russia did invade,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48this would be the quickest way for them to overrun Estonia.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57Standing in their way is Estonia's biggest military base.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06The arrival of 800 British soldiers
0:32:06 > 0:32:09has significantly bolstered their defences.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16This mission that we're on here in Estonia is so different in many ways
0:32:16 > 0:32:18from that which we've done in Iraq and Afghanistan.
0:32:18 > 0:32:24It's quite simple when there's someone on the other side of a field who's shooting at you.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27That's a relatively simple problem to understand.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33This mission, which is about deterrence, is about readiness, reassurance,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36requires a different understanding,
0:32:36 > 0:32:41and the challenges, the threats that we face, are more nuanced.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42They're not so evident.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48My role is to command a combat-ready battle group
0:32:48 > 0:32:51and be prepared to respond to any emerging crisis.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57And even, yeah, we go in through the different things like...
0:32:57 > 0:33:00- ..corridors...- OK, yeah.- For us, for the enemy, anyway.
0:33:00 > 0:33:045 Rifles find themselves in a new role.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07They will be serving under the command of the Estonian army.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16It's not our job to come here like some imperial army.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19We are a unit that sits under an Estonian brigade,
0:33:19 > 0:33:23so we've got to adapt how we operate to the way they operate.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28Major Ben Casson will act as a link point
0:33:28 > 0:33:30between the Estonians and the British.
0:33:31 > 0:33:37They are a country that lives with the prospect of invasion.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39You look at their history, hundreds of years,
0:33:39 > 0:33:43and they have been occupied by all sorts of different countries.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46So we're adding something extra to them.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57The Estonian army has just 5,500 soldiers.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05They are thinly spread across a 180-mile border with Russia,
0:34:05 > 0:34:07and are on high alert.
0:34:13 > 0:34:1518-year-old conscript Carl
0:34:15 > 0:34:19is living 24 hours a day in trenches close to the border.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25When you're running around the woods holding a gun it's inevitable
0:34:25 > 0:34:28you start thinking about these things -
0:34:28 > 0:34:32that what if, like, tomorrow, what if there's a real attack?
0:34:32 > 0:34:33Russia is, like, right there.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Like 5km from my home, I can see Russia right there.
0:34:37 > 0:34:38If it were to happen, then,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41what else you can do? You just have to do it.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43You just have to fight for your country.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45I would be happy to...
0:34:45 > 0:34:48..to maybe one day die for my country
0:34:48 > 0:34:51because it's where I'm born and raised.
0:34:51 > 0:34:52It's normal for me.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03This dense woodland is a natural asset for the Estonian army.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07Russian tanks would get bogged down
0:35:07 > 0:35:09if they tried to advance through here.
0:35:14 > 0:35:1720-year-old Piers Drinkall and his platoon
0:35:17 > 0:35:20must master this terrain as quickly as possible.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27It's been in the minuses, about -6, -7,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30but the wind chill has been on top of that, as well,
0:35:30 > 0:35:32so it has been pretty cold.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37No-one else has operated in Estonia before.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40For the people that are section commanders,
0:35:40 > 0:35:42and platoon sergeants,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45this is completely different from Afghanistan and Iraq.
0:35:48 > 0:35:525 Rifles are not just preparing for an advance of Russian troops.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58They must also be ready to spot Russian-backed insurgents.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01They will not be in military uniform.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06This was a tactic Russia used in Ukraine
0:36:06 > 0:36:09which could easily be repeated here.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Right, lads, what we're going to go through is your A to H, OK.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16This is the description of an individual
0:36:16 > 0:36:19that you'll send up to higher so they can further track him.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22In what situation would you use an A to H, Underwood?
0:36:22 > 0:36:255 Rifles have an identification system known as A to H.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Bring you into the scenario.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30If the Russian hordes come over the border
0:36:30 > 0:36:31in their hundreds and thousands,
0:36:31 > 0:36:35- do you think you're going to be taking A to Hs of every conscript? - No.- No, OK.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37So, it's an environment
0:36:37 > 0:36:40where they'll move in and out of the civilian population with ease
0:36:40 > 0:36:42because they're not a uniform soldier like we are.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45OK, so that A to H can be tracked along
0:36:45 > 0:36:47as they move from town to town.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49So the first one, A for age.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52All right. It doesn't have to be fucking specific,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55like 25 years old and four months, OK? Just a general area.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58His teens, his 20s, his 30s, his 40s.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00All right. Build.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Rifleman Hooch, how would you describe Rifleman Evans?
0:37:03 > 0:37:05Fat.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09Too much time in Macky Ds!
0:37:09 > 0:37:12Clothing. Right, that's dead simple, OK? What they're wearing.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15The D, distinguishing features.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17- Scars.- There we go, scars is a big one, as well.
0:37:17 > 0:37:18If they've got scars on their face
0:37:18 > 0:37:21it usually means they're probably a bit of a hard bastard, doesn't it,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24or they fucked up with ammunition or some sort of explosives in the past.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27OK? So that's a nice little fucking combat indicator, as well.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43I want you to start moving through the woods, right?
0:37:43 > 0:37:47- Yep.- Keep deliberate rate of fire going into enemy-like locations.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51Ambushes in the dense woodland are the biggest threat they face.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Right, let's go now.
0:37:57 > 0:38:02Today they are going to be put to the test in a mock attack.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Now move.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11We're the first ones the enemy see, the first ones the enemy contact.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Yeah, 12 o'clock, mate.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Right, move up.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18We've worked hard on taking positions, keeping moving forward,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20keeping the enemy on the back foot.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23It's something we're getting good at.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25Let's go. Drinkall!
0:38:25 > 0:38:27- Yep.- Push back to the casualty, mate.
0:38:27 > 0:38:28- That's your bag now.- Roger.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30OK, start getting that there, OK?
0:38:30 > 0:38:32- Yeah.- Other sections are secured over here.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36I'll make sure this fucking place is secured.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41Piers has recently been promoted to Lance Corporal.
0:38:41 > 0:38:42As a commander now,
0:38:42 > 0:38:45it's my responsibility to be that mentor figure, really,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48to the lads, teach them the basic skills and drills.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52It is cliched, but you are fighting for the bloke next to you, really.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Little work on points, OK?
0:38:58 > 0:39:01This wooded area is safe, tracks are not, so make sure you don't put...
0:39:01 > 0:39:04I know you want to go to the tracks, that's where you've come from,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06- you're thinking safe.- Yeah. - Don't push out on the track.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08A point for yourself.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10Probably a bit better placement of the guys at the start,
0:39:10 > 0:39:12cos obviously Mack couldn't see the enemy.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15Just a bit better placement, getting guys into far positions.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19Yeah, yeah. It's difficult cos I might be able to see down the tree line perfectly
0:39:19 > 0:39:21but you, five metres to the right, might not.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24But generally, though, I'm more than happy with that section attack.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26This is good. We destroyed a close one
0:39:26 > 0:39:28and then we had to withdraw and then they counterattacked.
0:39:28 > 0:39:29Stuff like that is good
0:39:29 > 0:39:32cos that's really what's going to happen in real life, isn't it?
0:39:32 > 0:39:35All right, fantastic. Let's go and get fucking Gore-Tex back on.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36Yeah, lads, well done, good effort.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48In the towns surrounding their base,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51British soldiers are on strict orders to keep a low profile.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01Over a quarter of the local population here are ethnic Russians.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07Social cohesion is fractious and easily exploited.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12Estonians worry Russia could secretly fund
0:40:12 > 0:40:16and arm ethnic Russians to turn against them.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24We're in Tapa and as you move east, pretty much of this line here,
0:40:24 > 0:40:29you start to get into a very ethnic Russian population.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Certainly, you go to Narva, which is the border town,
0:40:32 > 0:40:35you will struggle to find someone speaking Estonian
0:40:35 > 0:40:39and the media is almost exclusively from Russia.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43What you saw in the Ukraine was a very successful use by Russia
0:40:43 > 0:40:48of divisive messaging to really ferment popular uprising
0:40:48 > 0:40:51within an ethnically Russian area.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59State-sponsored Russian media have been quick to exploit protests
0:40:59 > 0:41:03about the arrival of British and Nato troops.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07Russian state media creates this belief in people
0:41:07 > 0:41:12that they are a country that is... invasion from an aggressive Nato.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14We all watch Western media,
0:41:14 > 0:41:18we assume that Western media is giving us the truth,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20exactly the same as the Russians
0:41:20 > 0:41:23assume that the Russian media is giving them the truth,
0:41:23 > 0:41:25so why would they think any different?
0:41:28 > 0:41:32Arguably the greatest threat to us is the manipulation of events.
0:41:32 > 0:41:38It is trying to undermine our presence and to engender poor will
0:41:38 > 0:41:42amongst the people of Estonia to try and delegitimise our presence.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Estonia has significantly increased their military spending
0:41:55 > 0:41:57since Ukraine was invaded.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05They are keen to show Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wilson their new firepower.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08We've been training on the guns right now for about six months,
0:42:08 > 0:42:10- yeah, since we started.- OK.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Maybe you want a closer look.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14Yeah, let's go.
0:42:15 > 0:42:20- So, you are a regular or conscript? - I'm a conscript.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22- OFF-SCREEN:- We have to essentially become
0:42:22 > 0:42:25a seamless part of the Estonian defence force.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29And we're a multinational battle group - British, French and Danes -
0:42:29 > 0:42:32integrating into an Estonian brigade.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35It's manually rammed, isn't it?
0:42:35 > 0:42:39When you fire it, the bridge uses the kickback
0:42:39 > 0:42:41to raise the bridge.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45And we need to understand the culture, the climate,
0:42:45 > 0:42:51the environment, so that we are a fully combat-ready unit.
0:42:51 > 0:42:52So when are they going to...?
0:42:52 > 0:42:55I can't tell you that, Colonel. This is me visiting as much as you.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57OK.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59I'm told the thing, the tripod at the side...
0:42:59 > 0:43:00That's a directing post.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03- Yeah.- Yeah. So that's what we used to do with the light gun
0:43:03 > 0:43:05until we had us laser ring gyros...
0:43:07 > 0:43:09..which does it automatically.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Beautiful eau de nil coloured shell.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15It is indeed eau de nil.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18I had a car... My first car was eau de nil.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21I got it cheaper because it was eau de nil.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30There's a balance to be struck between deterrence and provocation.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34I command a battle group of around a thousand people,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36that's a relatively small force.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38That's a conscious decision.
0:43:38 > 0:43:39So, it's not about provocation.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43It's about demonstrating the resolve and the unity of Nato,
0:43:43 > 0:43:46but without putting something so great in place
0:43:46 > 0:43:49that actually it provokes a reaction.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Today, 5 Rifles and the Estonian army
0:44:07 > 0:44:12are officially announcing their new relationship to the world.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16It's a show of force designed to send a clear message to Russia.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26They have been joined by 300 French soldiers.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28I'm enjoying this multi-nationality.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30Oh, yeah. It will be interesting.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32How we march together.
0:44:32 > 0:44:33- Yeah!- Do we salute?
0:44:33 > 0:44:36Yes. Yes. Officers are expected to salute.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38Keep it simple.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40Yeah, officers salute.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43Yes.
0:44:43 > 0:44:48And when you give your command, will the Estonian contingent react?
0:44:48 > 0:44:50- Oh, absolutely.- To you?
0:44:50 > 0:44:52I hope so!
0:44:52 > 0:44:54I hope so. And then they will...
0:44:54 > 0:44:58Colonel Parm is in charge of Estonia's first infantry brigade.
0:44:58 > 0:45:03I would say we have had a constant pressure from Russia
0:45:03 > 0:45:08starting in 2008 in Georgia, 2014, Ukraine,
0:45:08 > 0:45:13has been showing that their threat is there.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16We have been Nato members for 13 years now,
0:45:16 > 0:45:20and most of the Estonian society, or by large Estonian society,
0:45:20 > 0:45:25sees that as a most positive thing ever happened,
0:45:25 > 0:45:28when you think of Estonian security situation.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37This threat from Russia is felt strongly.
0:45:37 > 0:45:43Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union for nearly 50 years.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46Rifles.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48Battalion.
0:45:49 > 0:45:54We now know of the 50 years of brutal occupation,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57after losing a significant portion of our population...
0:45:59 > 0:46:03..after unspeakable crimes that were committed by occupiers
0:46:03 > 0:46:08in our territory, both during war and after the war.
0:46:08 > 0:46:13We now know that not fighting was not the safer option.
0:46:14 > 0:46:20Standing here today represents our clear conviction to defend ourselves
0:46:20 > 0:46:23against any and all aggressions,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25no matter how strong they are.
0:46:25 > 0:46:30We will not repeat the mistakes of the past.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33We will never go quietly again.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44They look at the world in a different way than we in the UK do,
0:46:44 > 0:46:48simply because we've had the luxury of being relatively secure.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53It was fought over between the Germans, the Soviets and so on.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55That's something that we British
0:46:55 > 0:46:57haven't had to think about for over 1,000 years.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01Certainly, every Estonian I've met has been fundamentally clear on,
0:47:01 > 0:47:05is that they are never going to lose their independence again.
0:47:14 > 0:47:185 Rifles, the French and the Estonian army's ability
0:47:18 > 0:47:21to defend the country from Russian invasion
0:47:21 > 0:47:24will now be put to the test for the first time.
0:47:29 > 0:47:313,000 other Nato troops
0:47:31 > 0:47:35will launch a series of simulated attacks against them.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43We are creating a large pocket for the enemy to move in,
0:47:43 > 0:47:47a kill zone. We are hitting enemy with at least two battalions.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53Colonel Parm is in charge of the operation.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57First phase of the battle is led directly by brigade.
0:47:57 > 0:48:04We have to have in our possession vital ground through which we can build our counterattacks,
0:48:04 > 0:48:07from south to north and north to south.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10We are blocking and we're blocking forward.
0:48:10 > 0:48:13And once the anti-tank company has come through,
0:48:13 > 0:48:19then I will push some reconnaissance and snipers just slightly forwards, up to 2km.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Beyond the phase line.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25I need to hold that line one as long as possible
0:48:25 > 0:48:28in order to create those conditions.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32Not to let enemy go further north than that.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36Of course, you have noticed that I'm quite modern leader.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40I delegated all the responsibility to you now.
0:48:40 > 0:48:45But we will go that to the final victory.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47Thank you. Go away.
0:48:47 > 0:48:48That's it.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57This joint exercise will be crucial
0:48:57 > 0:49:00in assessing how this new alliance is working.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04Well, what we are trying to do
0:49:04 > 0:49:08is draw the enemy into the centre with 11th and 12th Battalion
0:49:08 > 0:49:11moving back and out of the way,
0:49:11 > 0:49:14until the enemy meet a block of the defence force.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19If you look at all the factors that we're having to deal with,
0:49:19 > 0:49:24we're operating in a country that has very different terrain to our own,
0:49:24 > 0:49:27we're in a multinational environment,
0:49:27 > 0:49:29so we're having to work out how...
0:49:29 > 0:49:32not only how we deal with, work with the Estonians
0:49:32 > 0:49:34but also how do we work with the French.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38All those things together make it incredibly challenging.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41Any exercise you go on,
0:49:41 > 0:49:45there is an enemy scenario, and dare I say the word, Russia...
0:49:47 > 0:49:50Let's be clear, it's Russia to our East,
0:49:50 > 0:49:52that should come as no shock to people...
0:49:52 > 0:49:58why we're here. But why antagonise people when it's just completely unnecessary to do so?
0:50:08 > 0:50:14The attacks will take place across a 350 square mile area of Estonia,
0:50:14 > 0:50:18including towns and villages just miles from the Russian border.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25Hundreds of Estonian civilians are also taking part.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32As Estonia only has an army of 5,500,
0:50:32 > 0:50:3715,000 civilians have the legal right to bear arms.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44Made up of teachers, butchers and bus drivers,
0:50:44 > 0:50:46they are Estonia's Home Guard.
0:50:47 > 0:50:53We like to fight in the forest cos tanks cannot come here.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56Russian troops, they hate forest,
0:50:56 > 0:51:01because we can just strike from there and disappear very quickly.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04That's our strategy
0:51:04 > 0:51:07until you guys came here.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13Tonu works in the oil industry.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17During the Soviet occupation,
0:51:17 > 0:51:2230,000 of Estonians deported to Siberia.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24Very, very many died in there.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26My grandfather was there.
0:51:26 > 0:51:32So, we remember this and actually we don't like to have this system back.
0:51:44 > 0:51:48Piers Drinkall's company will be leading the counterattack.
0:51:50 > 0:51:56We're using dismounted infantry and fires to isolate,
0:51:56 > 0:52:00dislocate and deceive enemy positions,
0:52:00 > 0:52:04and then we will fucking mallet them with armour.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08It will be interesting to see what goes on
0:52:08 > 0:52:10and how different countries do shit
0:52:10 > 0:52:14and hopefully we will do shit better than they do it and we'll win.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32Don't turn, fire. Fire back at them.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44HE SPEAKS FRENCH
0:52:45 > 0:52:48The key to defending Estonia from a Russian attack
0:52:48 > 0:52:51is co-ordinating the British, French and Estonian units.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01No, I don't understand, over.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05Communications are being run on an encrypted system
0:53:05 > 0:53:08so they cannot be intercepted by the Russians.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12Delta 3 to Alpha, Roger. I'm confused.
0:53:12 > 0:53:17Are you in comms with Bravo? Any Bravo call signs, over?
0:53:20 > 0:53:24Major Ben Casson has to ensure commands from the Estonian army
0:53:24 > 0:53:27are passed on to the British and French.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29Cross the river, over.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41They're talking about bears.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Where the fuck have they got bears?
0:53:48 > 0:53:54The Estonian minister of defence and chief of defence arrive to be briefed about the problems.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57How are you coping with your comms and stuff?
0:53:57 > 0:53:59Sir, it's a very good question.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Sir, this is one of the things we're trying to work out at the moment
0:54:02 > 0:54:06because the British are still using British communication means
0:54:06 > 0:54:11which can't talk directly to Estonian means without a voice bridge.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14It's not easy for me to talk directly with the battle group
0:54:14 > 0:54:15and we're trying to work out,
0:54:15 > 0:54:18should I be here, should I be in forward command post,
0:54:18 > 0:54:22- do I need my own radio vehicle? - You need a motorbike.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Face-to-face we can have a very easy conversation,
0:54:25 > 0:54:28but over a radio with the distortion,
0:54:28 > 0:54:30it becomes really difficult.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33I was talking to your seniors about that...
0:54:33 > 0:54:37And to the minister of defence, as well. I think...
0:54:37 > 0:54:40I think you would be very popular men if you could...
0:54:50 > 0:54:54The exercise lasts 19 days.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58Many of the teething and communication problems are resolved
0:54:58 > 0:55:02and the combined force successfully repels the enemy attack.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06Everything we do is about influence.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08It's always been that way.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11It's about trying to change someone's behaviour,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14to stop them doing something that we don't want them to do.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16Here, in Estonia,
0:55:16 > 0:55:20this is very much about fighting on its own territory and that brings
0:55:20 > 0:55:23a different approach, a different psychology to that
0:55:23 > 0:55:24and, I think, you know,
0:55:24 > 0:55:28I'm very conscious that every time you're giving up a metre,
0:55:28 > 0:55:29that's a metre of their homeland.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37I am genuinely encouraged by where we are at this stage,
0:55:37 > 0:55:41bearing in mind we've only really been in Estonia now
0:55:41 > 0:55:43for a month and a half.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50As the size of the British Army shrinks,
0:55:50 > 0:55:54and the world becomes increasingly uncertain,
0:55:54 > 0:55:57this type of operation will become more commonplace.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03If you're getting smaller, but you want to maintain influence
0:56:03 > 0:56:05and you consider yourself a world actor,
0:56:05 > 0:56:09then you've got to be able to work with other nations
0:56:09 > 0:56:14to achieve the same effect, and if we tried to do it alone, well,
0:56:14 > 0:56:17it just isn't the way the world is any more.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Unaware of Russia's next move,
0:56:26 > 0:56:30the British Army could remain in Estonia for the next five years.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38- Busy times.- They have been exercised a lot. They worked very hard.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42General Sir Nicholas Carter has come to visit 5 Rifles.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45One of the things that we're determined to do as an army
0:56:45 > 0:56:47is to redress the balance between
0:56:47 > 0:56:50ten years of counterinsurgency and stabilisation
0:56:50 > 0:56:56and to try and remind ourselves of what war fighting might look like up against a grown-up opponent.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59The big point is it's got to be visible,
0:56:59 > 0:57:02it's got to send a message, and that's what this is about,
0:57:02 > 0:57:04you are sending a message.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06I think it's also interesting to see
0:57:06 > 0:57:09what our potential opponent across the border makes of this, you know,
0:57:09 > 0:57:10and if there's a deathly hush,
0:57:10 > 0:57:12then I suspect we're being quite successful.
0:57:18 > 0:57:22I think being a soldier in 2017 is probably different in some ways
0:57:22 > 0:57:24to being a soldier 20 or 30 years ago
0:57:24 > 0:57:27because the nature of the threats is very different.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32We, as soldiers, understand that the nature of war doesn't change.
0:57:32 > 0:57:35It's always generally going to be visceral, violent.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37It's generally about people and about politics,
0:57:37 > 0:57:40but the character of conflict subtly evolves.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45The British Army in the final analysis
0:57:45 > 0:57:47is still to be an army that can fight
0:57:47 > 0:57:50and can take on whoever our enemies are.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55Next week...
0:57:55 > 0:57:56What are we looking at, sir?
0:57:56 > 0:57:58- The kid with the AK?- Yeah.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01British soldiers are on a UN mission
0:58:01 > 0:58:05in a country torn apart by civil war and famine...
0:58:05 > 0:58:0830,000 people in need of protection by the UN
0:58:08 > 0:58:11housed in little shelters everywhere.
0:58:11 > 0:58:13- Can I have some money? - Give you money?- Yes.
0:58:13 > 0:58:15I haven't got any money, mate.
0:58:15 > 0:58:20..trying to keep a fragile peace in south Sudan and protect civilians.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23How many patients do you usually see a day?
0:58:23 > 0:58:25- 700 to 800.- Wow.