Latvian Land Forces

Latvian Land Forces
Latvian Land Forces emblem
Active	1991
Country	Latvia
Type	Army
Size	1200

Land Forces (Latvian: Sauszemes Spēki(SZS)) form the regular contingent of the National Armed Forces and provide for the defense of all national territories. The development of the Land Forces is directed towards improving their combat and professional capabilities.

Mission

Latvian soldier in Iraq

The main task of the Land Forces is to defend the national territory during a military threat within the scope of the NATO Treaty, as well as to prepare the Land Force units for their deployment to international missions.

The main mission of the Land Forces is to:

• Provide for the defense of all national territories;
• Ensure combat readiness and the mobilization of units;
• Exterminate explosives;
• Provide public assistance.

Structure

Infantry Brig

Spec.
Tasks
Unit

Lielvārde Air Base

Navy HQ

Coastal Defence Bn

Latvian military units and bases
Source: Jane's World Armies Issue 23 - 2008
Note: "Special Tasks Unit" is a special forces unit of battalion size.

Soldier from NAF 1st Infantry Battalion during exercises

Land Forces Infantry Brigade

• Headquarters
• HQ and Signal Company
• 1st Infantry Battalion
• 2nd Infantry Battalion
• Fire Support Battalion
• Combat Support Battalion

Cooperation

The Latvian Land Forces have been participating in peacekeeping operations abroad since 1996. Currently, NAF soldiers are deployed on six international peacekeeping missions – in Afghanistan, Iraq, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia. and Bosnia.

Equipment

Military vehicles

• HMMWV armored vehicle, some equipped with HK GMG, 50.cal.
• Bandvagn 206 tracked articulated, all-terrain carrier.
• Volvo C303 (Tgb 11, Tgb 21 variants) troop carrier.
• Chevrolet K5 Blazer truck.
• Husqvarna Motorcycles.
• Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Artillery

• 100 mm field gun M53.
• 120-PM-43 mortar.
• M/41D 120mm mortar.

Air defence

• RBS 70 short-range man-portable air-defence system (MANPAD).

Anti-tank weapons and grenade launchers

• SPIKE fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile.
• AT4 single-shot anti-tank weapon.
• BILL 1 Anti-tank guided weapon.
• Heckler & Koch GMG automatic grenade launcher.

Assault rifles and machine guns

• Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle (fitted with a AG36 single-shot 40 mm grenade launcher) standard weapon in land forces.
• M16 rifle (M16A1 variant).
• Carl Gustav M/45 submachine gun.
• Heckler & Koch MP5 (MP5KA1, MP5A3, MP5SD3 variants) submachine gun.
• Heckler & Koch MP7 (MP7A1 variant) submachine gun.
• Heckler & Koch UMP (UMP45 variant) submachine gun.
• Uzi (Mini-Uzi, Uzi-SMG variants) submachine gun.
• FN Minimi light machine gun.
• M2 Browning machine gun (M2HB-QCB variant).
• Rheinmetall MG 3 general purpose machine gun.

Pistols, shotguns and sniper rifles

• Glock pistol (Glock 17, 19, 21 variants) semi-automatic pistol.
• Heckler & Koch USP semi-automatic pistol.
• M1911 pistol (M1911A1 variant) semi-automatic pistol.
• SIG P210 semi-automatic pistol.
• SIG Sauer P232 semi-automatic pistol.
• SIG Sauer P239 semi-automatic pistol.
• Heckler & Koch P2A1 single-shot, break action flare pistol.
• FR F2 sniper rifle.
• Dragunov sniper rifle
• Heckler & Koch HK417 'Sniper' Model - 20" accurized barrel.
• PGM Hecate II heavy sniper rifle.
• AMP Technical Services DSR-1 specialized sniper rifle.
• Remington 870 shotgun.

References

• Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Latvia
• Mission of Latvia to NATO