Defense Minister Artis Pabriks (Development/For!) told Latvian Radio on January 14 the Latvian government decided to extend the mandate for the National Armed forces to continue participation in the international operation in Iraq battling Daesh, and on January 15 he spoke on LTV’s morning broadcast “Rīta Panorāma” about the significance of the mission and Latvia’s participation.
Latvian air traffic control authority Latvijas Gaisa Satiksme (LGS) published an online map on January 8 showing the location of objects over which drones aren't allowed to be flown, as well as the associated restrictions surrounding them.
The State Audit Office reported that more than 7 million euros were spent illegally during construction in the eastern border area with Russia, Auditor General Elita Krūmiņa announced in a press conference on January 8.
One of the US air bases in Iraq that suffered from an Iranian missile attack on the morning of January 8 also contained six Latvian soldiers, who were unharmed in the attack, Defense Ministry Representative Kaspars Galkins said on Latvian Television’s “Rīta Panorāma” broadcast the same morning.
Several celebratory events have been organized to celebrate the Latgale independence centenary by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and National Armed Forces, including the National Guard 3rd Latgale brigade, in cooperation with municipal governments in Latgale, according to the Ministry on December 31.
The United States will allocate $125 million "to develop military cooperation between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania" in 2020 according to a release from the Estonian Defense Ministry December 23.
The Latvian Ministry of Defense has signed an agreement with Latvian manufacturer UAV Factory to continue supplying and maintaining unmanned aerial vehicle systems, the ministry said December 23.
Six Latvian defense technology companies, will receive a total of 350,000 euros in grants from the Ministry of Defense for projects such as a virtual reality training simulator and the development of a secure communications system prototype, according to a ministry announcement on December 18.
Polish Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft and roughly 140 personnel are going to deploy to Ämari Air Base in Estonia to augment NATO’s Baltic Air Policing from January 2020, NATO announced December 16.
A Polish soldier in Latvia as part of NATO's defensive presence has died at the Ādaži military base near Rīga, Latvia's Defense Ministry said in an announcement December 15.
The Information Technology Security Incident Response Institution Cert.lv announced on Friday, December 13 that over the last few days several state institution employees and politicians have experienced targeted cyber attacks using phishing emails purporting to be from the Russian embassy, formatted as a reply to previous correspondence.
Latvian defense Minister Artis Pabriks said the NATO summit held 3-4 December in London "can be considered a success".
According to the Ministry of Defense, new research it has conducted shows that 80% of respondents to a survey believe that in the case of a national-scale threat they would be most concerned about knowing where to turn for information.
Defense officials have identified a person involved in leaking text messages which included restricted information, Defense Minister Artis Pabriks (Development/For!) said in an interview with the LETA news agency November 24.
November 14 saw the conclusion of the Joint Hod ops (Historical Ordnance Disposal Operation) exercise organized by NATO's 1st Standing Anti-Mine Squad and the Baltic Minesweeper Squadron (BALTRON) which began November 4.
In our current situation the media space is a national security issue and media services are crucial to national security, stated Ministry of Defense State Secretary Jānis Garisons on the LTV Direct Talk (Tieša runa) broadcast.
Latvian Radio has recently visited a Naval Forces patrol ship, and reported November 11 on spending a working day with one of the ship's crew. They found out what the objectives are for modern patrol ships, why recruits choose the sea, how the ship's cooks prepare food during storms and what soldiers think about civilian rescue operations.
When Latvia began realizing one its most ambitious army plans a few years ago – further mechanization of the Land Force Mechanized Infantry Brigade – at the same time it set another goal to involve more local suppliers in defense procurement contracts.
Latvian Institute of International Affairs researcher Sintija Broka highlights Latvian residents' fears related to migration and terrorism during the regional discussion cycle “How Safe Do You Feel in Europe?”.
From November 1-3 the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCG1) ships will dock in Liepāja, according to the Naval Forces Coast Guard Service. The SNMCMG1 group also includes the Latvian Naval Forces minesweeper M-06 “Tālivaldis”, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Deniss Jeļcovs.
The Latvian State Security Service (VDD) said October 16 it has developed a strategy for the prevention of terrorism financing for the years 2019-2021 which, among other things, will "improve the reputation of Latvia in the international financial markets."
October 11 and 12 see the return of the Rīga Conference, an annual geopolitical talking-shop in the Latvian capital involving several hundred participants from the fields of politics, defense, academia and the media.
October 11 and 12 see the return of the Rīga Conference, an annual geopolitical talking-shop in the Latvian capital involving several hundred participants from the fields of politics, defense, academia and the media.
Friday 11 October sees the start of the annual Rīga Conference, an annual geopolitical talking-shop that takes place in the Latvian capital.
Last week was a busy one for NATO's Baltic Air Policing mision. Between September 23-29 NATO fighter aircraft carried out eight alert scrambles to identify and escort aircraft in the airspace over the Baltic Sea, according to information published by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense.
Starting September 25 through September 29 there'll be intense military motor traffic on some of Latvia's major roads, as part of the Sudraba bulta (Silver Arrow) military exercises, Sandris Gaugers, a Colonel of the National Armed Forces, told Latvian Radio.
From September 23 to October 6, the Silver Bullet 2019 international military exercises will take place in the Latvian province of Vidzeme, where over 3,000 soldiers from 12 different countries will participate in, LETA was informed by the Defense Ministry.
Belgian pilots who recently took over patrols as part of NATO's Baltic air policing mission got an early test on 17 September 2019, when their F-16 fighter jets based at Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania had their first scramble over the Baltic Sea.
Latvia could send a presence to participate in the U.S. led international coalition to protect shipping in the Persian Gulf, Defense Ministry spokesman Kaspars Galkins said.
The Rīga-based NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence (STRATCOMCOE) has an interesting new report out looking at the malicious use of social media.