The commander also spoke positively about the attendance of the National Guard at the Namejs exercise.
"Really great, good attendance. Thank you to all the National Guard soldiers, professional soldiers, and reservists who responded to what we did. One of the tasks was to test the mobilization exercises - in some units, so these procedures, how to better integrate, involve, and equip our reserve soldiers together with the National Guard. And the other one, where I would like to thank all our partners, I think it was very positive to see how many - both the local authorities and the state - got involved. The State Fire and Rescue Service organizes the Civil Protection Operational Control Center exercises, and I think a lot of people have been able to try and test their readiness for different crises and, in fact, war situations."
Pudāns concluded that improvements are still needed in information exchange - understanding what information is needed by which party in extreme situations and which information exchange tools are best to use.
"Other times the need is for information sharing. What is it that needs to be told to someone else, to what extent, and at what time? These often play out in exercises in combat operations when there are many different parties involved. This is really one of the key things to understand. Some information is needed on the battlefield as to who is responsible for what at what point in time. Each exercise just brings, maybe strengthens, those procedures and adds to how to do it better. Because at the same time, it is also done experimentally," Pudāns noted.
The comprehensive national defense exercise "Namejs 2024", organized by the NBS, takes place from September 3 to 8 October across Latvia. Some 11,000 soldiers and service staff from all NBS units, including national defense service troops, reserve troops, and allied forces, are taking part in the exercise.
