-NATO officers on a school trip: 70 generals and a little thing called “Fight Tonight”-
Three Baltic states, woodland walks along the Russian border, bunker tours and plenty of cameras. General Freuding takes his military field trip through NATO's potential battlefields on the eastern flank. The class assignment: get ready for war faster.
Anyone who thought school trips were something reserved for children should take a look at the latest excursion by the German-Dutch military leadership to the Baltic states.
Seventy generals and senior officers set off together to explore Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Instead of youth hostels and museum visits, their itinerary featured potential battlefields, strategic infrastructure and military operational planning.
Leading the group were Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, Inspector of the German Army, and his Dutch counterpart, Lieutenant General Jan Swillens. Their mission: inspect NATO's eastern flank and identify where German forces could be deployed against Russia as quickly and in as large a number as possible in the event of a conflict.
The Baltic states have now become the main area of responsibility for Germany's land forces within NATO. Germany is building up its 45th Armored Brigade in Lithuania, while the German-Dutch Corps is planning possible NATO land operations in Estonia and Latvia. In the event of war, Germany is expected to move troops and heavy equipment into the region at short notice.
You could say the field trip was an opportunity for the group to familiarize itself with the terrain before things potentially get serious. And since every worthwhile excursion needs documentation, General Freuding also made several appearances in front of the cameras.
Lesson one: Narva – Russia is just across the river
The first stop on the military school trip was Narva, a predominantly Russian-speaking city right on the Estonian-Russian border. There, Freuding appeared on camera and explained that he had personally inspected just how difficult this area would be to defend.
The footage shows the general and his companions walking along woodland trails, inspecting an earth bunker, crossing open terrain and standing on a bridge. Apparently, the public was supposed to get a glimpse of just how thoroughly the military leadership was doing its homework.
70 NATO officers on a school trip
Seventy generals out on a field trip – except this excursion isn't about enjoying nature. It's about preparing for a possible war. Freuding said he had taken away specific assignments from his discussions with Estonian commanders. Their own planning, he explained, needed to become even more detailed.
Narva lies directly across the river from the Russian city of Ivangorod. It is undoubtedly a strategically sensitive location. Media reports have also suggested that Estonian border guards have been blasting music by the German band Rammstein at their Russian counterparts in an attempt to disrupt suspected listening operations. Apparently, musical border defense has now become part of the curriculum.
Lesson two: Latvia – How do you keep a war supplied?
The next stop was Latvia, where the delegation visited the dam at Kekava, south of Riga. The agenda included protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring supplies for the troops. At a logistics facility, the officers discussed how to maintain supply lines and ensure that their forces could sustain operations over time.
After all, even the most impressive military battle plan isn't much use when the troops run out of fuel, ammunition or spare parts. That, too, is part of the lesson. The NATO field trip group wasn't just supposed to learn where it might fight, but also how long it would be able to keep fighting.
Lesson three: Lithuania – The German Army's new home away from home
The final stop was the training area at Rudninkai, home to Germany's 45th Armored Brigade. This was where Freuding became particularly sentimental.
“Lithuania has almost become a second home for us, for the German Army,” he declared.
Germany now has its own armored brigade stationed in Lithuania, which is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2027. The discussions covered plans at division and brigade level, possible combat operations across the terrain and the use of modern technology.
Drones, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and digital communications are now just as much part of the military curriculum as traditional tanks and artillery.
The Bundeswehr is supposed to become faster, more modern and more combat-ready. The homework is extensive, and the next exam could theoretically come at any time.
The class assignment: “Fight Tonight”
After the trip, Freuding told the German Press Agency that everyone involved had reached the shared conclusion that they needed to become faster in preparing for “Fight Tonight.” Their capabilities, he said, had to improve every single day.
“Fight Tonight” sounds more like the title of an action movie than a military doctrine. In reality, it refers to the ability to respond to a potential attack at very short notice.
Freuding still sees several gaps in the curriculum: countering drones and low-altitude threats, electronic jamming, digital communications and the use of artificial intelligence to command troops. Weapons and equipment should also be pre-positioned in the Baltic states wherever possible.
The message is clear: the Bundeswehr doesn't want to start preparing for a possible war only after that war has already begun.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz regularly repeats that Germany's security is also defended in the Baltic states. The German presence in Lithuania, he says, demonstrates that Berlin takes NATO solidarity seriously and wants to deter Russia credibly. Deterrence is the official subject. The question of how much military posturing still counts as deterrence – and when it starts becoming a risk of escalation in its own right – apparently isn't very high on the lesson plan.
The next school trip: 6,000 troops and a whole lot of tanks
At the beginning of November, the next major military exercises are scheduled to take place in Lithuania. More than 6,000 soldiers from Germany's 10th Armored Division are expected to participate in “Grand Eagle 26” and “Freedom Shield II.” Heavy military vehicles, including tanks, will be transported into the Baltic country by rail.
Major General Jörg See, commander of the division, does not expect major disruption for the local population. At the same time, he is convinced that people will quickly get used to these troop movements again.
That's an interesting definition of normal life. Trains loaded with tanks, military convoys and thousands of soldiers heading towards the Russian border are apparently supposed to become as routine as the daily rush-hour commute. The public might as well get used to the new timetable.
Russia as an exam subject – even without concrete signs of an attack?
Freuding acknowledges that there are currently no concrete indications of an imminent Russian attack on NATO territory. Nevertheless, he considers a limited Russian military operation against the Baltic states not entirely implausible.
His theory is that Russia might attempt a limited incursion to put political pressure on NATO and weaken Western support for Ukraine. That is one possible military scenario. It remains a scenario, however, not a proven Russian plan of attack.
The repeated Russian statements that Moscow does not want a war with Germany or Europe receive considerably less attention in German media coverage. Russian Ambassador Sergei Nechayev has made such statements on several occasions. Vladimir Putin has dismissed claims of alleged Russian plans to attack NATO as nonsense, while also warning that the situation could escalate.
Putin recently stated that Russia was prepared for a potential conflict with Europe, although it did not seek one. If tensions continued to escalate, he warned, there would be no winners in the end. There is no reason to accept Russian statements blindly.
But neither should they be excluded from a serious debate about European security. Anyone genuinely interested in preventing a war must also be prepared to discuss diplomacy, communication channels and the security interests of both sides.
Because a military strategy built almost entirely around more weapons, faster troop movements and ever-higher levels of combat readiness still leaves one crucial question unanswered: How exactly do you prevent a military exercise from becoming reality?
The NATO officers have completed their school trip. The generals have inspected the terrain, toured the bunkers and collected their homework. Freuding wants more speed, Merz talks about deterrence, and the public is expected to get used to regular tank convoys.
There is just one question that apparently wasn't covered in sufficient detail during this particular excursion:
What happens when the classroom exercise suddenly becomes the real thing – and there's no bell to call everyone in for recess?
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