The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 2021 to 2025 Europe

Military - note Latvia, in 5 editions.

The entry for Latvia published Military - note in 5 editions of 34, from 2021 to 2025. The text changed in 4 editions. Each is shown as published. Military - note in every entry.

editions changed the text
4
the first edition with it
2021
the latest edition with it
2025

Published as “Military - note” (2021 to 2025).

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.

2025 edition

Changed since 2024

Open the 2025 entry

  • the National Armed Forces are responsible for the defense of the country’s sovereignty and territory;
  • they also have some domestic security responsibilities, including coast guard functions, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, and providing support to other internal security services;
  • the Military Police provides protection to the president and other government officials, foreign dignitaries, and key facilities;
  • Latvia’s primary external security focus is Russia
  • in 2004, Latvia joined NATO and the EU, both of which it depends on to play a decisive role in Latvia’s security policy;
  • the Latvian military has participated in EU and NATO missions abroad and regularly conducts training and exercises with EU and NATO partner forces;
  • Latvia also hosts NATO partner forces;
  • since 2017, it has hosted a Canadian-led multinational NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative;
  • in addition, NATO has provided air protection for Latvia since 2004 through its Baltics Air Policing mission

Latvia is a member of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and Scandinavian countries designed to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and High North regions (2025)

the National Armed Forces are responsible for the defense of the country’s sovereignty and territory; they also have some domestic security responsibilities, including coast guard functions, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, and providing support to other internal security services, including the State Border Service, the State Police, and the State Security Service; services; the Military Police provides protection to the president and other government officials, foreign dignitaries, and key facilities; for external defense, Latvia’s primary external security focus is Russia
in 2004, Latvia joined NATO and the EU, both of which it depends on to play a decisive role in Latvia’s security policy; the Latvian military has participated in NATO and EU and NATO missions abroad and regularly conducts training and exercises with NATO and EU and NATO partner forces
forces; Latvia also hosts NATO partner forces; since 2017, it has hosted a Canadian-led multinational NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative; in addition, Latvia hosts a NATO-led divisional headquarters (Multinational Division North; activated 2020), which coordinates training and preparation activities of its respective subordinate NATO battlegroups in Estonia and Latvia
the Air Force
has no combat aircraft; NATO has provided air protection for Latvia since 2004 through its Baltics Air Policing mission; NATO member countries that possess air combat capabilities voluntarily contribute to the mission on four-month rotations
Latvia is a member of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and Scandinavian countries designed to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and High North regions (2024) (2025)

Cite this page

Central Intelligence Agency. “Latvia: Military - note.” The World Factbook, 2021–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/latvia/military-note.

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