Create a free starter account, or log in.

Get access to four free articles per month, as well as our Decisive Edge Newsletters and Daily News Bulletin.

Email Address

Password

Forgot your password? Reset by clicking here

Create a Password

[[ req.met ? '✓' : '•' ]] [[ req.text ]]

Re-enter Password

Passwords do not match

First Name

Last Name

Country

Confirm your account

Please enter the four-digit pin below that has been emailed to you.

Didn't receive the pin yet?

This pin expires in 20 minutes.

[[ error ]]

By creating an account, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Stay informed with Shephard's award-winning journalism. Unlock unlimited access and in-depth analysis with a corporate or individual subscription.

Explore your options here

Smaller nations under threat – finding the right training focus

2nd August 2023 - 10:00 GMT | by Giles Ebbutt in Plymouth

RSS

Small, well-trained and equipped professional forces will eventually reach a point where they and their resources are exhausted. (Photo: UK MoD/Crown Copyright)

It is inevitable that a country’s military training policy will be driven by its situation in the world, and also by its society.

Small countries that feel under existential threat from a large neighbour have a particular problem if they wish to maintain a normal existence, but still feel able to offer significant resistance to aggression.

Brig Gen Vahur Karus, Commandant of the Estonian Military Academy, outlined this dilemma at the 2023 DSET conference in Bristol. He reminded his audience that Estonia had been occupied by Russia in 1940 and there was ‘no intention of allowing it to happen again’.

The country has an area of 45,000 sq km and a population of only 1.3 million. While its defence budget is 3% of

Already have an account? Log in