We live in the neighborhood of aggressors, and in order to live in peace, one must prepare for war, be strong and persistent. In response to the aggressive policy of Russia and Belarus, the Ministry of Defense of Latvia continues its work on strengthening defense capabilities. The commander of the armed forces, General Leonids Kalniņš, informed today that the Latvian army is creating seven new battalions, each of which will have 1,000 to 1,400 soldiers.
“High readiness infantry battalion as part of the mechanized brigade. This will provide us with a buffer so that we can perform tasks effectively during the operation. Two battalions are related to our technology, high technology, one of them is related to sensors so that we get much deeper information. The third battalion is an electronic warfare battalion within the National Guard, which will provide the capabilities that the cyber defense department provided until now, and its capabilities will be expanded with capabilities to prevent the adversary from fulfilling its tasks,” says General, NBS commander Leonids Kalniņš.
The NBS commander also revealed that work on the implementation of the plan for the military strengthening of the eastern border continues, and companies have been selected to produce concrete structures for these purposes – the so-called “dragon’s teeth” and anti-tank hedgehogs to delay the enemy in the event of a military invasion.
“These are 19 merchants, we have to conclude a contract for production and supply by the end of May, these merchants will provide us with concrete products and metal products, and we are expanding the involvement of merchants from the Latgale region, who will help to carry out infrastructure works,” says Kalniņš.
Minister of Defense Spruds, presenting the current events, said that Latvia’s strength is in two fists – one of them is its own ability to defend itself, the other is the presence of allies, which is also being strengthened throughout the Baltic region.
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“We continue [stiprināt] our capabilities in terms of weaponry – both missile artillery, air defense systems, and coastal defense systems. The allied presence is also being strengthened, we are progressing successfully to brigade size, we will host a Danish contingent this year, a Swedish battalion, we have done all our homework to ensure air patrols by the German Air Force,” says Sprud.
Ukraine’s experience has confirmed that in the event of a war, one of the most important stages is the resilience of society and its involvement in the defense of the country. Therefore, the Ministry will start the campaign “Arm yourself with knowledge”. On the “Sargs.lv” portal, in the “72 hours” section, informative material has been published, and an updated version of the booklet includes information on actions to be taken in case of war.
This includes instructions on actions during both aviation and missile strikes – for example, the need to look for a bomb shelter or observe the two-wall principle. Instructions have been given on how to act in a situation where one of the country’s regions is under the occupation of the invading army.
At the same time, General Kalniņš expressed his satisfaction that recently interest in military service has increased again – both in the National Guard, training of reserve soldiers, and also in professional service. From the mandatory service, 40 soldiers have already enlisted and signed a five-year contract with the Latvian National Armed Forces.
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Tags: Trigger event crisis war public involvement resilience crucial
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