TAPA, Estonia — Danish Armed Forces armored personnel assigned to NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Multinational Battlegroup Estonia have concluded a week-long integrated live-fire exercise at the Central Training Area near Tapa. The maneuvers brought together a Leopard 2A7DK main battle tank (MBT) squadron, Soltam CARDOM 120 mm mortar platoons, and organic combat service support (CSS) elements to validate joint fire coordination, combat casualty care, and armored recovery operations under high-intensity tactical conditions.
The training progression executed field zeroing of main gun optics and secondary armaments before advancing to complex combined-arms maneuver scenarios. Tactical drills integrated CARDOM mortar indirect fire missions to suppress simulated enemy defensive lines, enabling Leopard 2A7DK crews to execute live-fire maneuver bounds and direct hit engagements. Concurrently, the exercise stressed battalion logistics and medical evacuation chains—testing real-time tactical refuel/rearm operations (FARPs), combat vehicle recovery (CVR), and frontline point-of-injury medical treatment and extraction to medical platoon clearing stations under simulated combat stress.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: DANISH ROYAL ARMY NATO EFP BATTALION CONTINGENT (ESTONIA)
* Operating Force: Royal Danish Army (Hæren) / NATO Multinational Battlegroup Estonia
* Operational Location: Tapa Central Training Area (Lääne-Viru County, Estonia)
* Mission Scope: Integrated SHORAD/Direct-Fire Maneuver, CARDOM Mortar Coordination, CASEVAC & CSS Logistics
1. LEOPARD 2A7DK MAIN BATTLE TANK (TANK SQUADRON)
* Vehicle Classification: 3+ Generation Main Battle Tank (MBT)
* Prime Contractor: Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW / KNDS)
* Crew Complement: 4 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver)
* Primary Armament: Rheinmetall 120 mm L/55A1 smoothbore gun (compatible with programmable HE and APFSDS-T kinetic energy rounds)
* Secondary Armament: 2x 7.62×51mm MG3 / M/62 machine guns (coaxial & commander’s hatch mount)
* Powerplant & Performance:
* Engine: MTU MB 873 Ka-501 V12 twin-turbo diesel delivering 1,500 hp (1,100 kW)
* Combat Mass: ~64.5 metric tons
* Speed Envelope: 68 km/h (42 mph) paved road | 45 km/h off-road
* Modular Protection & Optics: Modular composite armor package, anti-mine belly protection, APU, modular NBC system, and PERI R17 A3 hunter-killer thermal sighting architecture
2. SOLTAM CARDOM 120MM MORTAR SYSTEM (MORTAR PLATOON)
* System Classification: Autonomous Recoil Mortar System (RMS) mounted on armored carrier platforms
* Manufacturer: Elbit Systems / Soltam Systems
* Caliber: 120 mm smoothbore mortar
* Fire Control & Targeting: Integrated Fire Control System (IFCS) w/ GPS/INS self-pointing navigation & automated servo-drive laying
* Maximum Range: ~7,200 meters (standard HE) to 9,500 meters (extended range rounds)
* Burst Rate of Fire: Up to 16 rounds per minute
3. BATTALION LOGISTICS & COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT (CSS)
* Vehicle Support Fleet: Piranha V 8×8 armored medical/command variants and Wisent 1 Armored Recovery Vehicles (ARV)
* Tactical Support Functions: Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) medevac extraction, armored towing/field recovery, and mobile fuel/ammunition resupply points
