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 2024Latvia officially became a member of NATO in 2004
- since 2017, Latvia has hosted a multi-national NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative;
- the battlegroup is led by Canada and had about 1,500 troops on a continuous rotational basis as of 2021
- NATO also has provided air protection for Latvia since 2004 through its Air Policing mission;
- NATO member countries that possess air combat capabilities voluntarily contribute to the mission on 4-month rotations
Latvia officially became a member of NATO in 2004
since 2017, Latvia has hosted a multi-national NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative; the battlegroup is led by Canada and had about 1,500 troops on a continuous rotational basis as of 2021
NATO also has provided air protection for Latvia since 2004 through its Air Policing mission; NATO member countries that possess air combat capabilities voluntarily contribute to the mission on 4-month rotations
Latvia became a member of NATO in 2004
- since 2017, Latvia has hosted a Canadian-led multi-national 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
- NATO also has provided air protection for Latvia since 2004 through its Air Policing mission;
- NATO member countries that possess air combat capabilities voluntarily contribute to the mission on 4-month rotations (2022)
Latvia officially became a member of NATO in 2004
since 2017, Latvia has hosted a Canadian-led multi-national NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative; the battlegroup is led by Canada and had about 1,500 troops on in addition, Latvia hosts a continuous rotational basis as NATO-led divisional headquarters (Multinational Division North; activated 2020), which coordinates training and preparation activities of 2021 its respective subordinate NATO battlegroups in Estonia and Latvia
NATO also has provided air protection for Latvia since 2004 through its Air Policing mission; NATO member countries that possess air combat capabilities voluntarily contribute to the mission on 4-month rotations (2022)
- 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;
- the Military Police provides protection to the president and other government officials, foreign dignitaries, and key facilities;
- for external defense, Latvia’s primary security focus is Russia, which has only increased since the Russian seizure of Crimea in 2014 and full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022;
- in 2004, it joined NATO and the EU, which it depends on to play a decisive role in Latvia’s security policy;
- Latvia is actively engaged in both NATO and the EU, as well as bilaterally with its allies in order to bolster its own security and that of the surrounding region;
- the Latvian military has participated in NATO and EU missions abroad and regularly conducts training and exercises with NATO and EU partner forces;
- Latvia also hosts NATO partner forces and 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
- the Land Forces have a single mechanized brigade;
- since 2017, Latvia 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 Land Forces are supplemented by the National Guard, which has four regionally based infantry brigades that are manned mostly by part-time personnel supplemented by some full-time professional soldiers;
- in peacetime, the brigades participate in emergency, fire and rescue operations, and in the “elimination of consequences caused by emergency situations”
- 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;
- the Naval Forces feature a few patrol vessels and minesweepers;
- the military also has logistics, military police, special operations forces, and training commands (2023)
Rewritten: too little of the 2022 text remains to mark the changes.
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; the Military Police provides protection to the president and other government officials, foreign dignitaries, and key facilities; for external defense, Latvia’s primary security focus is Russia, which has only increased since the Russian seizure of Crimea in 2014 and full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022; in 2004, it joined NATO and the EU, which it depends on to play a decisive role in Latvia’s security policy; Latvia is actively engaged in both NATO and the EU, as well as bilaterally with its allies in order to bolster its own security and that of the surrounding region; the Latvian military has participated in NATO and EU missions abroad and regularly conducts training and exercises with NATO and EU partner forces; Latvia also hosts NATO partner forces and 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
the Land Forces have a single mechanized brigade; since 2017, Latvia 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 Land Forces are supplemented by the National Guard, which has four regionally based infantry brigades that are manned mostly by part-time personnel supplemented by some full-time professional soldiers; in peacetime, the brigades participate in emergency, fire and rescue operations, and in the “elimination of consequences caused by emergency situations”
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; the Naval Forces feature a few patrol vessels and minesweepers; the military also has logistics, military police, special operations forces, and training commands (2023)
- 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;
- the Military Police provides protection to the president and other government officials, foreign dignitaries, and key facilities;
- for external defense, Latvia’s primary security focus is Russia
- in 2004, Latvia joined NATO and the EU, which it depends on to play a decisive role in Latvia’s security policy;
- the Latvian military has participated in NATO and EU missions abroad and regularly conducts training and exercises with NATO and EU 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, 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)
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; the Military Police provides protection to the president and other government officials, foreign dignitaries, and key facilities; for external defense, Latvia’s primary security focus is Russia, which has only increased since the Russian seizure of Crimea in 2014 and full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022; Russia
in 2004, it Latvia joined NATO and the EU, which it depends on to play a decisive role in Latvia’s security policy; Latvia is actively engaged in both NATO and the EU, as well as bilaterally with its allies in order to bolster its own security and that of the surrounding region; the Latvian military has participated in NATO and EU missions abroad and regularly conducts training and exercises with NATO and EU partner forces; forces
Latvia also hosts NATO partner forces and 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 forces; since 2017,
the Land Forces have a single mechanized brigade;Latvia 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 Land Forces are supplemented by the National Guard, which has four regionally based infantry brigades that are manned mostly by part-time personnel supplemented by some full-time professional soldiers; in peacetime, the brigades participate in emergency, fire and rescue operations, and in the “elimination of consequences caused by emergency situations” 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; rotations
Latvia is a member of the Naval Forces feature UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a few patrol vessels pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and minesweepers; Scandinavian countries designed to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the military also has logistics, military police, special operations forces, North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and training commands (2023) High North regions (2024)
- 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 forcesforces; 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 has
the Air Forceno 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)
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Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “Latvia: Military - note.” The World Factbook, 2021–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/latvia/military-note.