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Create an account Reset password Already have an account? Log in From now on you can download videos from our website If you would also like to subscribe to the newsletter and receive our latest updates, click on the button below. Enter the email address you registered with and we will send you a code to reset your password. The password must be at least 12 characters long, no spaces, include upper/lowercase letters,...
Create an account Reset password Already have an account? Log in From now on you can download videos from our website If you would also like to subscribe to the newsletter and receive our latest updates, click on the button below. Enter the email address you registered with and we will send you a code to reset your password. The password must be at least 12 characters long, no spaces, include upper/lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Click the button to return to the page you were on and log in with your new password. 25 June 2026 3 MIN READ Estonia, 20 June 2026 – Vigorous Warrior 2026 (VW26), NATO’s largest multinational medical exercise, concluded in Estonia, bringing together 38 Allied and partner nations, conducted from 8 to 20 June 2026. Hosted by Estonia and coordinated by the NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine (NATO MILMED COE), the exercise strengthened military medical support for large-scale combat operations and advanced interoperability, innovation and civil-military cooperation across the Alliance. “Vigorous Warrior is the pivotal exercise for the NATO medical community. It brings Allies and partners together to train medical support jointly, realistically and in line with the demands of today’s operational environment,” said Brigadier General Dr Jens E. K. Diehm, Director of the NATO MILMED COE. “But we are not just exercising together. We are here to innovate and adapt to a changed security environment. This exercise gives us the opportunity to experiment with new technologies and solutions, side by side with our Allies and partners, ensuring that NATO medical support remains ready, resilient and capable in the most challenging circumstances,” he added. Brigadier General Petter Iversen, Chair of the Committee of Chiefs of Military Medical Services in NATO (COMEDS), attended the exercise and highlighted its importance for NATO readiness. “Vigorous Warrior is a unique training and innovation opportunity, bringing together both military and civilian assets,” said Brigadier General Iversen. “I am impressed by what Estonia as host nation and the NATO MILMED COE have delivered. VW26 makes NATO more capable of handling difficult scenarios in the future.” Brigadier General Iversen emphasised that medical support is a fundamental part of deterrence and defence. “VW26 strengthens NATO’s medical readiness in a defensive manner on the eastern flank of the Alliance,” he said. For Estonia, the exercise marked a significant milestone. Lieutenant Colonel Indrek Olveti, Estonian Surgeon General, noted that this was the first time since 2002 that Estonia had conducted an exercise of this scale and type, with the previous iteration taking place before Estonia became a member of NATO. “This exercise is important not only for interoperability and civil-military cooperation, but also as a strong deterrence activity,” said Lieutenant Colonel Olveti. “Hosting Vigorous Warrior in Estonia demonstrates our ability to work closely with Allies, partners and civilian institutions in support of collective defence.” VW26 covered the full spectrum of military medical support, from care at the point of injury to casualty stabilisation, evacuation, higher-level treatment and continuity of care across medical units and nations, with the aim to support the military mission through restoring the health and fighting strength of the fighting force. By training these processes together in demanding and realistic scenarios, Allied and partner forces improved their ability to operate as an integrated medical support system. Innovation and experimentation were central features of Vigorous Warrior 2026. Conducted in partnership with NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), the exercise enabled companies to observe and test emerging technologies in realistic field conditions. This supported the assessment of new solutions in operational medical scenarios and contributed to future capability development. The exercise also placed increased emphasis on the protection of patients, evacuation assets and treatment facilities. Training and testing included underground installations, evacuation using unmanned systems, and measures to reduce thermal and electronic footprint of the medical treatment facilities, thus improving their protection and survivability. These efforts were informed by lessons identified from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Vigorous Warrior 2026 demonstrated the importance of strong civil-military cooperation in support of national resilience and collective defence. Civilian participants included representatives from Romania, Sweden, Hungary, Estonia’s Health Board, hospitals, Rescue Board, Police and Border Guard Board, and ambulance services. Their participation added realism and underlined the critical role civilian institutions play in medical preparedness during crisis and conflict. By combining realistic multinational training, civil-military integration and technology experimentation, Vigorous Warrior 2026 strengthened NATO’s ability to deliver medical support in crisis and conflict. The exercise also reinforced Allied readiness, resilience and deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank. Link was copied to clipboard 1 / 5 BACK
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