愛沙尼亞舉行大規模軍演

For more than a week now, the birch forests and heaths across Estonia have echoed with gunfire, explosions and the heavy crump of artillery.

逾一個星期以來，整個愛沙尼亞的樺樹林和荒野上，迴盪着槍聲、爆炸聲和大炮的轟鳴聲。

The tiny Baltic state, sandwiched between Russia and the sea, is holding the largest war games of its independent history and one of the biggest held by Nato since the end of the cold war.

這個夾在俄羅斯和波羅的海之間的小國，正在舉行獨立以來的最大規模軍演，這也是冷戰結束以來北約(Nato)國家舉辦的最大規模軍演之一。

Eight Nato states, including the US, UK, Poland and Germany, are participating and have sent weaponry ranging from advanced anti-aircraft systems to A10 “Warthog” ground-attack planes and Abrams battle tanks.

包括美國、英國、波蘭和德國在內的8個北約國家參加了這次軍演，武器系統涵蓋範圍從高級防空系統到A10“疣豬”(A10 Warthog)對地攻擊機和艾布拉姆斯(Abrams)主戰坦克。

But the drills are really Estonia’s affair. It has deployed 13,000 troops in the live-fire exercises, of which 7,000 have been conscripted out of ordinary civilian jobs as part of the country’s national reserve. In striking contrast to the populations of other Nato countries, there is huge public support for these exercises. A year-long national TV advertising campaign has urged businesses and employers to take part. One reservist paid 1,700 of his money to fly back from Australia to take part.

不過，這次演習其實是愛沙尼亞本國的一次行動。該國在這次實彈演習中動用了1.3萬人的部隊，其中7000人是從作爲愛沙尼亞國家後備力量的普通文職崗位徵召的。與其他北約國家民衆形成鮮明對比的是，這次演習獲得了公衆的巨大支持。在此之前，愛沙尼亞出現了持續一年之久的全國性電視廣告宣傳攻勢，督促各商家和僱主參與這次演習活動。有一名預備役軍人甚至自費1700歐元，從澳大利亞飛回愛沙尼亞參加此次軍演。