Finland and Latvia have agreed on a joint development programme for sustained army mobility enhancement to which Patria is to deliver a 6×6 vehicle chassis platform. This joint programme aims at development of a common armoured wheeled vehicle system. The programme is also open for other countries by mutual consent of Finland and Latvia. In […]

DefenceTalkPrime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that Canada is extending its NATO commitment in Latvia by another four years to March 2023 and will boost the number of troops in the country to 540 from the current 455 in a show of ongoing solidarity with the alliance. Trudeau made the announcement in Riga following a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/canada-extends-nato-mission-in-latvia-to-2023-trudeau-71741/

DefenceTalkThe Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and Lockheed Martin signed a contract for three TPS-77 Multi-Role Radars (MRR) for use in air surveillance and to complement radar assets already in place. “Purchase of ‘TPS-77’ MRRs will mean a huge investment in the strengthening of defence capabilities of National Armed Forces and gives […]https://www.defencetalk.com/latvia-buys-3-tps-77-multi-role-radars-from-lockheed-martin-65567/

DefenceTalkThe US Air Force on Tuesday showed off its advanced MQ-1 “Predator” drone at a Latvian airbase, marking the first time the cutting-edge aircraft has been deployed in Europe. The showcase at the central Lielvarde airbase comes as tensions run high in the Baltic states — Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia — with neighboring Russia over its […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-unveils-predator-drones-at-latvian-airbase-65299/

DefenceTalkLatvia has taken the delivery of the first four armored vehicles (Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance Tracked or CVRT) it has purchased from the United Kingdom, the Latvian Defense Ministry announced Friday. The first batch will be used for training and familiarization purposes before the full complement of 123 CVRTs, also known as the ‘Scimitar,’ arrives in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/first-uk-fighting-vehicles-arrive-in-latvia-65284/

DefenceTalkRAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — Two MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) and approximately 70 Airmen deployed to Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia to test the unit’s ability to forward deploy, and to conduct air operations while assuring NATO allies of our commitment to regional security and stability. Airmen and aircraft from the 147th Reconnaissance Wing […]https://www.defencetalk.com/mq-1s-test-deployment-capability-in-latvia-65235/

DefenceTalkLatvia said Friday it would buy Stinger ground-to-air missiles from the United States next year, amid concern in the ex-Soviet Baltic state over Russia’s sabre-rattling in the region. “A decision was taken to buy the Stinger missile system,” Latvian chief of defence Lieutenant General Raimonds Graube said on public television. He added that the total […]https://www.defencetalk.com/latvia-to-buy-stinger-ground-to-air-missiles-from-us-64936/

DefenceTalkU.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday the U.S. will pre-position about 250 tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzers in eastern and central Europe in a move meant to reassure NATO allies unnerved by threats seen from Russia and terrorist groups. Carter, during a trip to Tallinn, said the Baltic states – Estonia, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-to-position-tanks-arms-in-7-european-nations-64661/

DefenceTalkPolish and Latvian officials on Tuesday voiced scepticism over calls for a European Union army to counter a militarily resurgent Russia. “It’s a very risky idea,” Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna told Poland’s private Radio Zet in reaction to Sunday’s proposal by European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker. Juncker, a former Luxembourg prime minister, called for […]https://www.defencetalk.com/poland-and-latvia-sceptical-over-eu-army-idea-63450/

DefenceTalkUp to 2,000 Russian soldiers took part in drills in the country’s west on Wednesday as Moscow conducted an inspection of its paratrooper units in the latest show of strength likely to alarm its neighbors. Some 500 units of equipment were also to be included in drills in the western Pskov region which borders EU […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russian-paratroopers-in-drills-on-border-with-estonia-latvia-63305/