Winter Shield 2023 will involve the Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the Ground Forces, the 25th Combat Support Battalion of the National Guard, the battle group of NATO's enhanced presence in Latvia, and the soldiers of the United States.
"Exercises are conducted to plan unit capabilities and conduct operations to improve unit integration and interoperability according to information from Latvia's National Armed Forces (NBS).
"The training tasks are to improve skills in overcoming obstacles and minefields, evacuating victims, performing defensive maneuvers, as well as coordinating indirect fire and close air support. This year's exercises will focus heavily on strengthening combat engineers' abilities to perform tasks," the NBS said.
During the training period, there will be combat firing of howitzers, mortars, grenade launchers, machine guns and infantry support weapons day and night. It is also planned to "demonstrate the operation of the HIMARS missile system" so local residents are asked for an understading attitude to any noise and inconvenience this causes. The training periods that will involve the most intense firing of weapons are planned from November 21 to 24 and from November 28 to 29.
