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Further Reading

Latvia

Latvia's defense concept is based upon four basic pillars: collective defense as a member of NATO, professionalization of the armed forces, support and coordination with civil society, and international military cooperation. The armed forces consist of the regular forces, a home guard called "Zemessardze", and the Reserve. The regular forces are composed of the land forces, an air force focused on air surveillance and search and rescue, and naval forces focused on coastal surveillance, assertion of sovereignty, mine countermeasures, search and rescue, and environmental protection. Additionally, there are some other minor units adding to the total armed forces personnel of 5,000. Zemessardze is an autonomous 10,600-man-strong volunteer reserve organization which performs traditional national-guard duties such as crisis response and support for military operations.

The Latvian National Armed Forces became fully professional in November 2006. Defense spending has risen in recent years, and the government has committed 2% of its GDP to defense spending through 2013. However, in view of current economic problems, spending in the military sector is unlikely to reach that goal.

Participation of the Latvian National Armed Forces (NAF) in international operations has both political and military significance. By joining international operations, Latvia strengthens the internal security of the country and demonstrates that it is an active member of the international community. Significance of international operations has increased after Latvia has joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union (EU), which makes our country jointly responsible for consolidation of the global security processes.

International operations are considered to be the following:

• international peacekeeping operations, the purpose of which is to re-establish and maintain peace in conflict zones and in which the personnel engaged have the right to participate in hostilities;
• international peacekeeping operations, the purpose of which is to re-establish and maintain peace in conflict zones and in which the personnel engaged does not have the right to participate in hostilities, except in cases when it is necessary for the purposes of self-defence;
• international rescue operations, the purpose of which is to eliminate the consequences of natural disasters, evacuate civilians from dangerous locations or perform activities of similar nature;
• international humanitarian operations, the purpose of which is to render assistance to civilians who have suffered as a result of hostilities or other extreme circumstances;
• international military operations, which aim is to exercise the inherent rights of the United Nations member states to collective self-defence which are fixed in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The National Armed Forces units participate in international operations on the basis of: a resolution, recommendation or request of such international organisations of which the Republic of Latvia is a member state or with which the Republic of Latvia co-operates; a request of a NATO or EU member state.

Decision on participation of the Latvian NAF units in international operations is taken by the Parliament. The length of international operation term is 6 months; and only soldiers of professional military service are entitled to participate in them. Soldiers' suitability for international operations is assessed on the basis of their physical condition, health condition, professional skills and experiences, characteristics from their place of service and knowledge of foreign languages. Before their deployment to international operations, soldiers must complete a special training course, where they learn skills required for co-operation with soldiers of other countries, enhance their professional skills, as well as learn more about the country and residents of the respective international operation. During international operations, the Latvian soldiers obtain valuable experiences, which cannot be obtained otherwise. Preparation of soldiers for deployment to international operations is also one of the ways to prepare able soldiers and test efficiency of their training programs.

In 2006, there will be 10th anniversary since Latvian soldiers participate in international peace-keeping operations. During these years, the participation of the NAF in international operations has become a significant development task of the Latvian armed forces. The Latvian NAF soldiers have been participating in the peace-keeping operations in the Balkan region since 1996; the participation in the international monitoring mission to Georgia was commenced in 2000, but in 2003, soldiers have commenced their participation in the international operations in the Persian Gulf region.