• Land Warfare

  All of NATO’s innovation ranges may be operational this year

  27th May 2026

  The innovation ranges are designed to provide testing and validation across high technology areas and are a key part of NATO’s Rapid Adoption Action Plan to get new technologies into service faster.

• Land Warfare

  NATO boosts uncrewed usage and shifts on concept of operations based on lessons learned from Ukraine

  12th May 2026

  The war in Ukraine remains a focus of procurement, concepts of operation, tactics and training for NATO countries. The Crystal Arrow Exercise in Latvia, ongoing until 15 May, is a reflection of this.

• Land Warfare

  Drone Summit turns spotlight on smaller companies and new uncrewed systems

  3rd June 2026

  The Drone Summit saw more than 100 companies from 20 countries, including Latvia, Australia, Canada and Israel, presenting uncrewed surveillance and attack platforms. The event came just weeks after drones, believed to be Russian, invaded Latvia’s airspace.

• Land Warfare

  Latvian drone interceptor units to enter service “within weeks”

  26th May 2026

  Latvia is one of the countries at the forefront of developing a counter uncrewed aerial system capability, drawing on its own industry to meet a geographical and geo-political circumstance that has seen drone incursions rise.

• Naval Warfare

  How the Hormuz mine threat exposes potential Baltic MCM shortfalls

  1st May 2026

  Ageing Baltic vessels and an absence of active minehunting vessel programmes in the region have been put under the spotlight in the recent conflict.

• Land Warfare

  NATO demonstrates equipment and prototype innovations in Crystal Arrow Exercise

  15th May 2026

  The Crystal Arrow Exercise is being used by NATO as a way to put new equipment such as uncrewed ground and aerial vehicles into the hands of alliance users, particularly Latvian and Baltic forces.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  The shift away from Chinese drone technology presents supplier opportunities

  20th May 2026

  As countries increasingly move away from Chinese drone manufacturing and focus on domestic production and collaboration, Europe and the US are well-placed to step in – although cost remains a crucial consideration.

• Land Warfare

  Strengthening Baltic defence capabilities

  26th November 2025

  How Latvia is bolstering its territorial defences, industrial capacity and international cooperation with Dynamit Nobel Defence’s SKORPION2 Remote Mining System.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: Vegvisir sets connectivity in contested environments in its sights

  13th June 2026

  Maintaining connectivity in contested environments, where essential networks can easily be disrupted by enemy forces, has emerged as a key challenge in modern warfare. Estonian company Vegvisir aims to tackle that problem with a new Communications Module unveiled at Eurosatory.

• Land Warfare

  HIMARS rising: sales, industrial cooperation and missile tests are driving the weapon forward

  17th April 2026

  Australia's milestone Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System test and a wave of fresh contracts and production ramp-ups highlight the building momentum behind long-range strike systems globally, with HIMARS leading the way.

• Land Warfare

  May land forces roundup: counter-drone systems move up the agenda

  2nd June 2026

  There has been a drive towards uncrewed aerial systems and defeating them in recent weeks, with NATO exercises addressing the danger, new systems unveiled and a new Latvian counter-drone unit stood up following recent incursions.

• Land Warfare

  Estonia drops CV90 plan as it shifts towards uncrewed systems and firepower

  13th April 2026

  The country is scaling back its reliance on heavy battlefield equipment in favour of upgrading existing platforms and investing in firepower, mobility, unmanned systems and situational awareness.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall signs $521 million agreement for ammunition as it plans factory in Latvia

  30th September 2025

  Rheinmetall has been increasing its production capacity since 2022 and aims to be able to produce up to 1.5 million 155mm artillery shells annually by 2027.

• Land Warfare

  Germany signs multi-billion-dollar deals for 6x6 CAVS and GDELS Eagle vehicles

  19th December 2025

  The order is a further boost for the Common Armoured Vehicles System programme which has notched notable successes in the past 12 months. The first vehicle, made in Finland, will be delivered next year with local production expected to ramp up in 2027.

• Land Warfare

  CAVS rides a wave and prepares for surge requirements as orders roll in

  2nd February 2026

  The Common Armoured Vehicle System is continuing to rack up orders as the British Army looks likely to become an operator of the vehicle, while Italy and Ireland are also contenders.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  HIMARS [Latvia]

  Background Latvia does not currently operate any multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), with the Latvian army focusing primarily on tubed artillery. The experience of Ukrainian ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CVR(T) Scimitar 2 (Ukraine Aid) [Latvia]

  Programme Background Latvia acquired 123 Scimitar 2s from the UK, with deliveries from 2015 to 2020.  They are due to be replaced by 84 ASCODs ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Tripartite Class Replacement [Latvia]

  Latvia currently operates five Tripartite-class minehunter vessels, which were delivered second-hand to Latvia between 2007 and 2011. The vessels have been in operation since the early ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Tripartite Class Replacement [Latvia]

  Latvia currently operates five Tripartite-class minehunter vessels, which were delivered second-hand to Latvia between 2007 and 2011. The vessels have been in operation since the early ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Patria 6x6 (Batch 1) [Latvia]

  Programme Background Programme History Estonia, Finland and Latvia's intention to jointly develop and procure a new APC platform was first announced in December 2019, when ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Patria 6x6 (Batch 2) [Latvia]

  Programme Background Programme History Estonia, Finland and Latvia's intention to jointly develop and procure a new APC platform was first announced in December 2019, when ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  ASCOD (Batch 2) [Latvia]

  Programme Background Latvia began a selection process in early 2023 for a future IFV to replace its small fleet of ex-British CVR(T) tracked vehicles. Seeking ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  5,000 Latvian UAVs (Ukraine Aid) [Latvia]

  Background Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG) In January 2024, the Ukrainian Defence Contact Group (UDCG), a multi-nation organisation that coordinates military aid for Ukraine, established a drone ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Patria 6x6 (Ukraine Aid) [Latvia]

  Programme Background Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Latvia has been part of the allied coalition providing Ukraine with military support. Previous Latvian ...

• Self-propelled guns

  M109 Paladin Replacement [Latvia]

  Programme Background Latvia acquired 47 Paladins in the M109A5Oe configuration from 2017 to 2018. These vehicles, purchased second-hand from Austria, had been upgraded to this configuration ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  ASCOD (Batch 1) [Latvia]

  Programme Background Latvia began a selection process in early 2023 for a future IFV to replace its small fleet of ex-British CVR(T) tracked vehicles.  Seeking ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Latvia]

  Background Factory Visit On 7 June 2021, Baykar’s official Twitter account announced that the Latvian Minister of Defence, Artis Pabrikis, had visited the Baykar National ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Patria 6x6 [Denmark]

  Programme Background  Programme History The Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme brings together Finland, Germany, Latvia and Sweden to develop an armoured vehicle based on the ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  G-Wagon Replacement [Latvia]

  Programme Background Latvia procured 240 G-Wagons from Norway in 2004. These vehicles had been kept in storage in Norway and had very low mileage. This ...

• Minehunters

  Tripartite Class Replacement [Latvia]

  Programme Background Requirements Currently, Latvia does not have an active programme seeking to replace its Tripartite minehunters with a modern capability. Given an increase in ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  BEAK

  The BEAK is a Latvian man-portable quadcopter UAV, manufactured by Origin Robotics. It features an EO/IR camera payload and can host up to six munitions. ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  CVR(T) Scimitar 2

  The Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) family of lightweight armoured vehicles has been in continuous use with the British Army since its introduction in 1972. ...

• Land: battle management systems

  ASOC

  Under a contract awarded to Lockheed Martin by the USAF Electronic Systems Center in May 1997, the company is providing Air Sovereignty Operations Centers (ASOCs) ...

• EO/IR systems, Sea: ship surveillance and fire control systems

  iSea-30HD

  The iSea-30HD is part of the iSea family of compact observation systems designed for the harsh maritime environment. It features highly sensitive sensors, gyro-stabilization, and ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Patria 6x6

  Patria developed the Patria 6x6 APC, unveiled at the June 2018 Eurosatory exhibition, as a successor to the XA-series Pasi APC and to complement Patria's ...

• Crew-served grenade launchers

  GMG

  Heckler & Koch developed the 40mm Grenade Machine Gun (GMG) to meet the requirements of the German Army. The GMG has been selected by users ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  ASCOD Common Base Platform

  GDELS unveiled a new variant of its tracked ASCOD (Austrian Spanish Cooperative Development) IFV based on the new Common Base Platform (CBP) at the June ...

• Land: air defence radar

  TPS-77 MRR

  The TPS-77 MRR is a multirole radar (MRR), designed for low power consumption and is the most transportable version of the TPS-77 product line. This ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Sportsman MV850

  The Sportsman MV850 is derived from the Polaris Sportsman commercial 4x4 all-terrain vehicle and has been modified for military use. The MV850 seats one with ...

• Land: air defence radar, Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  TRML-4D

  The TRML-4D is a multi-functional surveillance and target acquisition radar system developed by Hensoldt. It is the latest C-band (NATO G-band) TRS-4D radar family member, ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  VR Fox

  The VR Fox is a Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV) manufactured by Latvia's VR Cars. It is currently being manufactured for the Latvian Army as part ...

• Minehunters

  Tripartite Class

  A total of 45 Tripartite-class minehunters have been built, with the original intention that the three partner nations of Belgium, France and the Netherlands would ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  Carl-Gustaf M4

  The Carl-Gustaf M4 is a fourth-generation, lightweight 84mm recoilless rifle developed by Saab Dynamics in September 2014. It is a highly versatile shoulder-launched weapon system ...

• Light UGVs

  Natrix

  The Natrix is a multipurpose UGV developed by Brasa Defence Systems. Conceived to carry equipment and conduct CASEVAC in a wide range of environments, the system ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  IRIS-T SLM

  The IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium-Range) is a surface-to-air missile system developed by Diehl Defence as part of the IRIS-T family of missile systems. Several countries ...