LATVIA

Population Defence budget 2010 GDP 2009 Land area Capital Life expectancy Population growth rate	2.3 million Euros 189 million (US$230 million) Euros18.5 billion (US$22.5 billion) 62,100 sq kms (23,885 sq miles) Riga (Population 750,000) 71 years 0.9 per cent
ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE
Total Armed Forces
Army Navy Air Force Joint Forces	1,500 (plus 11,000 reservists –  mainly National Guard) 550 300 3,000 in various joint functions such as command, administration, support and training (includes about 650 conscripts)
Conscription is currently 12 months are there is an aspiration to move to a professional force in the near future. On mobilisation the 5,000 personnel of the Border Guard (normally commanded by the Ministry of the Interior) would become a Ministry of Defence asset.
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Contact Details	Public Information Office Ministry of Defence K. Valdemara 10/12 LV-1473 Riga Latvia Tel:  +371 721 0419 Fax: +371 724 3115

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ARMY ORGANISATION

 

Land Forces Strength: approximately 1,500 (plus about 11,000 reservists – mainly National Guard)

In general terms and available for immediate operations are:

2 x Infantry Battalions

The Land Forces (LF) consists of a regular and reserve component. The regular component consists of a LF Brigade and 2 x infantry battalions. The reserve component is based on the National Guard which is organised on a regional basis. National Guard battalion headquarters act as mobilisation centres for the Guard’s specialised artillery battalion, engineer battalion, air defence battalion and NBC defence battalion.

 

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LATVIAN LAND FORCES OUTLINE STRUCTURE

 

Notes:
(1) The majority of the active duty (regular and conscript personnel) are in the 2 x Infantry Battalions. National Guard soldiers provide the vast majority of the personnel in other units.
(2) Latvia provides a small contingent (one military police platoon and/or one explosive ordnance disposal unit) to the EU’s Polish, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia Battlegroup.
(3) The Nation Guard provide 13 x infantry battalions, 1 x artillery battalion, 1 x engineer battalion, 1 x air defence battalion and 1 x NBC defence battalion.
 

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MAJOR ARMY EQUIPMENT

 

Reconnaissance (Recce)	3 x BRDM-2
Towed Artillery	24 x 100 mm K-53
Mortars (Mor)	50 x 120 mm
	10 x 82 mm
	40 x 60 mm
Anti-Tank (Atk)	100 x 84 mm Carl Gustav (RL)
	400 x AT-4 (ATGW)
	400 x RPG-7 (RL)
Low Level Air Defence (LLAD)	5 x SA-7 (SAM)
	About 50 guns of various types

 

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NAVAL ORGANISATION

 

Navy Strength: approximately 500 (including 200 conscripts)

Principal Units:

 

4 x Patrol Craft
6 x Mine Countermeasures Vessels

 

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LATVIAN NAVY OUTLINE STRUCTURE

 

MAJOR NAVAL EQUIPMENT

 

Patrol Craft (PC)	4 x Storm Class (Fast patrol boat)
	1 x Valpas (Patrol craft offshore)
	5-6 small patrol craft for Coast Guard tasks
Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMV)	4 x Alkmaar Minehunters
	1 x Namejs Class Minehunter
	2 x Kondor Minesweepers
Miscellaneous	1 x Vidar Class staff and support vessel
	1 x Hydrographic Vessel
	9 x Coast Guard launches

 

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AIR FORCE ORGANISATION

Air Force Strength: approximately 300 personnel

Latvia has no combat aircraft and the air defence of Latvian airspace is the responsibility of the NATO Baltic Air Policing element which operates from Lithuania.

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LATVIAN AIR FORCE OUTLINE STRUCTURE

Notes:
(1) Logistic and maintenance support is provided by the Joint Force Support Command.
(2) Latvia is part of the Baltic airspace surveillance network (BALTNET) which is a NATO regional organisation for airspace command and control. BALTNET has a Regional Air Surveillance and Coordination Centre (RASCC) at Kaarmelava, Lithuania with National Nodes in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
 

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MAJOR AIR FORCE EQUIPMENT

 

Transport (Tpt)	4 x An-2 Colt
	1 x L-410
Helicopters (Hel)	2 x Mi-2 Hoplite
	4 x Mi-8 Hip
	2 x A-109
Training (Trg)	4 x Wilga-35A
Air Defence	18 x 40 mm L/70
	RBS-70 on order

CURRENT UNIT DEPLOYMENTS
(over platoon strength – 30 personnel. These are approximate figures)