Military exercises in the Baltic region in 2027: what is announced
As of 5 October 2026, only two exercises affecting the Baltic region have been publicly named for 2027: NATO's Steadfast Defender 27 and the Russian-Belarusian Union Shield 2027 (Shchit Soyuza). Neither has published dates. Every other recurring exercise — BALTOPS, Namejs, Iron Wolf, Estonia's spring exercise, Poland's large national drills — is expected on its usual cycle, but no 2027 dates have been officially released. There is no Zapad 2027: the series is quadrennial, the last was Zapad-2025, and the next is expected around 2029.
This page separates what has been announced from what simply recurs. It will be updated as dates are published; nothing below is a forecast.
The 2027 calendar at a glance
| Exercise | Organiser | Usual timing | 2027 status | 2026 card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steadfast Defender 27 | NATO (SHAPE) | — | Announced, dates not published | — |
| Union Shield 2027 | Russia and Belarus | — | Announced 21 May 2026, dates not published | — |
| BALTOPS | NATO / US Naval Forces Europe | June | Recurring, dates TBA | BALTOPS 2026 |
| Ramstein Flag | NATO Allied Air Command | Varied (Oct 2024, Mar–Apr 2025, Jun 2026) | Recurring, dates TBA | Ramstein Flag 2026 |
| Namejs | Latvia | September–October | Recurring, dates TBA | Namejs 2026 |
| Iron Wolf | Lithuania, "Iron Wolf" brigade | Spring and autumn | Recurring, dates TBA | — |
| Vyčio skliautas | Lithuania, Government Chancellery | Late September – early October | Recurring, dates TBA | Vyčio skliautas 2026 |
| Kevadtorm (Spring Storm) or Siil (Hedgehog) | Estonian Defence Forces | May | Recurring, which one and when TBA | — |
| Anakonda | Poland, Operational Command | Described as every two years | No 2027 edition announced | — |
| Zapad | Russia and Belarus | Every four years | Not expected in 2027 (next around 2029) | Zapad 2026 |
Announced for 2027
Steadfast Defender 27. NATO's large collective-defence exercise has a 2027 iteration. North Macedonia's General Staff wrote in June 2025 that Steadfast Dart 27, a deployment exercise for the Allied Reaction Force planned for 2027, "is part of Steadfast Defender 27". For the Baltics, the relevant statement came on 19 September 2026: Lt Gen John Mead, deputy commander of NATO's Joint Force Command Brunssum, told LETA (published by LSM) that "next year" some NATO force deployments will be tested in Steadfast Defender. No dates, locations or troop numbers for 2027 have been published. The previous edition, Steadfast Defender 24, was reported at around 90,000 personnel; that figure belongs to 2024 and says nothing about 2027.
Union Shield 2027 (Shchit Soyuza-2027). On 21 May 2026, during a joint Russian-Belarusian training on the combat use of nuclear weapons, held by video link with Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin said: "next year we plan to conduct operational exercises of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia, Union Shield 2027". The Kremlin published a transcript; the statement was reported by Reform.news and Nasha Niva, among others. As of this page's date, neither Moscow nor Minsk has named dates, training areas or scale.
Recurring, dates not yet published
BALTOPS. NATO's main Baltic Sea naval exercise has run every year since 1972; the 2026 edition was its 55th. Both the 2025 and 2026 editions took place in June. BALTOPS 2026 ran 4–19 June and was, for the first time, commanded from JFC Brunssum. No BALTOPS 2027 announcement has been found.
Namejs. Latvia's comprehensive national defence exercise ran from 2 September to 8 October in both 2025 and 2026, according to Latvia's Ministry of Defence and National Armed Forces. A 2027 edition has not yet been announced.
Lithuanian exercises. The Lithuanian Armed Forces describe Iron Wolf as held every spring and autumn to certify the "Iron Wolf" brigade's battalions; Iron Wolf 2026 ended in May with about 2,700 personnel. Vyčio skliautas, the national mobilisation check, reached its third year in 2026. Strong Griffin, Perkūno griausmas and the Suwałki-corridor exercise Gallant Boar each had a 2026 edition covered on this site, but whether and when they return in 2027 has not been announced, and the site does not assume they are annual.
Estonia. Estonia's main spring exercise is normally Kevadtorm (Spring Storm), held in May; in 2015, 2018, 2022 and 2025 the larger Siil (Hedgehog) was held in its place. 2026 was a Kevadtorm year. Which of the two will run in 2027, and when, has not been announced.
Poland. Polish military sources describe Anakonda, organised by the Operational Command, as the country's largest national exercise, held every two years since 2006. No 2027 edition of Anakonda, or of Poland's other large series Dragon, has been announced.
Ramstein Flag. NATO's Allied Air Command has held Ramstein Flag in 2024, 2025 and 2026, each time in a different season and region; the 2026 edition was centred on the Nordic countries. Nothing has been announced for 2027.
What is not expected in 2027
Zapad. The Russian-Belarusian strategic exercise is quadrennial. Zapad-2025 was held on 12–16 September 2025, and the next is expected around 2029. In August 2026 this monitor itself briefly treated a non-existent "Zapad-2026" as real and corrected it on 11 August; the Zapad 2026 page and the corrections log document that. The Russian-Belarusian exercise announced for 2027 is Union Shield, not Zapad.
Frequently asked questions
When is BALTOPS 2027?
No dates have been published yet. BALTOPS is held every year, and the 2025 and 2026 editions both took place in June (2026: 4–19 June).
Will there be a Zapad 2027 exercise?
No Zapad is expected in 2027. The series is held every four years; the last was Zapad-2025 in September 2025, and the next is expected around 2029. The joint Russian-Belarusian exercise announced for 2027 is Union Shield 2027, with no dates published.
What NATO exercises are planned in the Baltics in 2027?
Steadfast Defender 27 is the only NATO exercise publicly named for 2027 with a stated Baltic dimension: a NATO general said in September 2026 that some force deployments will be tested in it. Recurring exercises such as BALTOPS and Namejs are expected but have no published 2027 dates.
When is Union Shield 2027?
Not yet announced. Vladimir Putin said on 21 May 2026 that the exercise is planned for 2027; dates, location and scale have not been published.
Is Namejs held in 2027?
A Namejs 2027 has not been announced. In both 2025 and 2026 the exercise ran from 2 September to 8 October.
Sources
- LSM, 19.09.2026 — interview with Lt Gen John Mead (JFC Brunssum) — Steadfast Defender next year
- North Macedonia General Staff, 27.06.2025 — Steadfast Dart 27 reconnaissance — part of Steadfast Defender 27
- Reform.news, 21.05.2026 — Putin announces Union Shield 2027; Nasha Niva, 21.05.2026
- US Navy — BALTOPS 25 concludes; Baltic Wind — BALTOPS 2026 begins
- Latvian MoD — Namejs 2026; LSM — Namejs 2025 begins
- Lithuanian Armed Forces — Iron Wolf 2026 wraps; LRT, 15.05.2026
- ERR — Kevadtorm 2026; Estonian Defence Forces — Hedgehog 2025
- Radio Kielce — Anakonda
- NATO AIRCOM — Ramstein Flag
This page lists only what has been officially announced or what follows an established schedule. Dates are added when organisers publish them.