In a first-of-its-kind trilateral cyber exercise, the Maryland Air National Guard partnered with Estonia’s Cyber Command to host exercise Baltic Blitz 23 from September 17-20, 2023, at Ämari Air Base, Harijumaa, Estonia. About 30 Airmen from the 175th Wing, two soldiers from the Illinois Army National Guard, 12 service members from Poland, and 30 Estonians participated in the cyber exercise, which centered around securing simulated rail transportation systems from cyber attacks.
The exercise was set up to train the blue cell (defensive team) and the red cell (offensive team) at the same time. The blue cell was tasked with defending a simulated network from attack, while the red cell attempted to hack into the system and disrupt operations. The white cell monitored the exercise and ensured that both teams were following the rules.
“The first mission I did with the State Partnership Program was called Baltic Jungle. We brought the entire [175th] Wing out here [Estonia] and it was mostly an aviation exercise with a very small cyber portion,” said Maryland Air National Guard Lt. Col. Bob DeLuca, member of the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group and Baltic Blitz exercise director. “This time it has grown so big that cyber is its [own] exercise,”
Cyber threats and cyber security lurk in the shadows and are not often thought about until personal misfortune or vital systems/services are disrupted. These threats could be from phishing, gaining system access, to malware, disabling/controlling systems, and denial-of-service, overwhelming the network, to espionage, gaining intelligence.
“This exercise is important for the Estonians and the Maryland Guard, because it helps us find better ways to protect our countries, to protect our partnerships, and to protect our corporations and businesses back home,” said Maryland Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Tom Howard, member of the 175th COG and part of the red cell.
Baltic Blitz was an opportunity for the participating nations to train together and share best practices in cyber defense. The exercise also helped to strengthen the relationships between the three countries, which are all members of NATO.
“Working with our Estonian partners is absolutely wonderful,” said DeLuca, who has been working with Estonia through four exercises over the last seven years. “They’ve been amazing partners of ours for 30 years at this point. Every single time there’s exchange on both sides.”
Ämari Air Base is familiar to members of the MDANG, teams from the 235th Civil Engineer Flight, collaborated with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, have aided U.S. Air Forces in Europe in enhancing Estonian air force offensive and defensive capabilities. Together, they improved the runway, security, and military lodging at the Estonian air force base in Harjumaa.
