• Defence Notes

  Unconventional 'resistance' cells urged for Baltic defense: study

  16th April 2019

  A Pentagon-commissioned report published 15 April envisions equipping Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with ‘resistance’ cells armed with unconventional weapons to deter Russia from invading. These …

• Defence Notes

  Saab spies Baltic opportunities

  3rd April 2019

  Amid a developing security environment in eastern Europe, the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are focusing their efforts on increasing land-based capabilities, particularly …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Thales to lead Geosafe project

  22nd March 2019

  Thales will take part in the European Commission’s U-Safe project for UAS geofencing solutions to secure the future operations of UAS in civil airspace, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  UAV Factory to supply UAVs to Latvia

  8th March 2019

  UAV Factory is set to supply UAVs for the Latvian armed forces under an agreement signed with the Latvia Ministry of Defence announced on 5 …

• Defence Notes

  Germany to miss NATO spending target despite short-term rise

  19th March 2019

  German defence spending will rise next year but then drop off again as a percentage of GDP, Berlin said on 18 March 2019, in news …

• Defence Notes

  Seven NATO countries hit spending target

  14th March 2019

  Seven of the 29 NATO countries hit the alliance's defence spending target in 2018, figures showed on 14 March 2019, an improvement over the year …

• Special Operations

  Central European special ops command under way

  15th February 2019

  Special operations forces from across Central Europe could soon be operating under a Regional Special Operations Component Command (R-SOCC), according to a NATO announcement published …

• Land Warfare

  NATO members receive new land munitions

  6th February 2019

  Denmark, France and the Netherlands have received the first shipment of new anti-tank weapons under the Land Battle Decisive Munition (LBDM) multi-national NATO project. The …

• Land Warfare

  Germany to fund military infrastructure in Lithuania

  5th February 2019

  Germany will invest €110 million ($127 million) in military infrastructure in Lithuania until 2021, its defence minister said on Monday, on a visit to mark …

• Digital Battlespace

  EDA's SATCOM pooling project enters next phase

  21st January 2019

  The European Defence Agency’s (EDA's) Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM) Pooling and Sharing Demonstration project entered into the execution phase on 15 January. The project is …

• Land Warfare

  Latvia nears 4x4 tactical vehicle decision

  30th November 2018

  According to Latvian MoD the evaluation process of offers submitted in the tender for new high-mobility armoured 4x4 tactical vehicles has concluded. Riga now awaits …

• Land Warfare

  Oshkosh’s JLTV hits the jackpot

  29th November 2018

  The US Army has announced a $1.69 billion order for Oshkosh’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) at full rate production (FRP) and this could now …

• Land Warfare

  Latvia receives Stinger air defence systems

  2nd November 2018

  Latvia has received man-portable Stinger air defence systems from Denmark to be used by the National Armed Forces (NAF). The Stinger missiles have been delivered …

• Land Warfare

  Latvia orders Carl-Gustaf ammunition

  30th October 2018

  Saab has received an $18.7 million order for ammunition for the Carl-Gustaf weapon system from the Latvian Ministry of Defence, the company announced on 24 …

• Special Operations

  Latvia receives military tactical vehicles

  25th October 2018

  The Latvian National Armed Forces (NAF) have received the first 18 Polaris MRZR-2 and Sportsman Big Boss military tactical vehicles, the Latvia Ministry of Defence …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• MRZR 2 (Forecast) (Latvia)

  Programme Background The Latvian Armed Forces have identified a need for off-road tactical military vehicles that will help to increase the responsiveness of its expeditionary ...

• 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. ...

• 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 ...

• 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) ...

• 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 - 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  Carl-Gustaf M3

  The Carl-Gustaf M3 is the third generation of the 84mm shoulder-fired recoilless antitank gun, first fielded by the Swedish Army in 1946. Since then, it ...