"Erna Raid" International Reconnaissance Competition, which started in 1992, is hosted by institutions such as the Estonian Ministry of Defence and the General Staff of the Defence Forces.
It is a long-distance, behind-enemy-lines infiltration and reconnaissance operation, as well as an adversarial learning event, that also invites special forces from various countries to participate. The location is chosen to be in the primitive forests of northeastern Estonia, notorious for having one of the worst combat environments in the world.
The competition is famous for its high difficulty, high intensity, long distances, multiple tasks, and "thrilling and tragic beyond imagination, real bullets in close imitation of actual combat".
In peacetime, the actual military strength of each country's armed forces is shrouded in mystery; without real war, no one knows each other's capabilities, hence the birth of this competition.
