The Latvian army is the guarantor of the independence and security of its state. The armed forces are a combination of various kinds of troops that ensure the territorial integrity of the country .
History of occurrence
How did the Latvian army appear. The history of its creation originates in the nineteenth year of the twentieth century. At that time, four land divisions were part of the armed forces, which in turn were divided into four more regiments. One-third of them were occupied by gunners, the rest - infantry. The divisions had the following names: Kurzeme, Vidzeme, Latgale and Zemgale. In addition to the main staff, the Latvian army of 1940 received support from the Technical Division and the Navy. Almost at the beginning of the history of the creation of troops, Senior Lieutenant Alfred Valleiki organized an aviation group.
Armed associations began to form on a voluntary basis. The first semblance of the state army consisted of several rifle companies of soldiers - Latvian, German and Russian. But a year after the formation of troops from among those interested, everyone began to call for service. The officers were led by former Russian and German military. The commanders were also representatives from the United Kingdom, the United States and Sweden.
In the first two years after the organization, the army fought with representatives of the Red Army. After this incident, the situation calmed down somewhat, and the armed forces engaged in peaceful affairs. The pre-war army in Latvia did not use its defense capabilities against other countries over the next twenty years.
Soviet period
In 1940, the state became one of the Soviet Socialist Republics. Following this, the Latvian armed forces also underwent some changes. They increased the number of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army in the form of the twenty-fourth Latvian Rifle Corps.
Military training was now compulsory for eighteen months. After this period, the rank and file were entered into the reserve. With the advent of Soviet power, the Latvian army (the strength of its composition) reached thirty-one thousand. Of this number, two thousand were officers, twenty-seven thousand were soldiers. The armed forces were also replenished by civil servants. Their number was equal to a thousand people .
When the Great Patriotic War began, the republic was represented in the form of two rifle divisions and a separate anti-aircraft artillery division. Students of the Riga Infantry School also went to the front.
Independence time
Immediately after obtaining the status of an independent state, the government signed a law that defined the concepts of "Latvian army", "strength" and "armament of its composition". A popular voluntary defense organization was formed, which was called "Zemessardze." The protection of interests, independence and sovereignty has become one of the priorities. Therefore, the government was actively engaged in the formation of a combat-ready army.
The state in the nineties actively began to establish international relations. As part of a partnership with the United States of America, the country participated in all NATO projects.
Another innovation was that the border troops became a separate unit after they were withdrawn from the armed forces. The Latvian army lost this connecting link, which came under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the state .
According to reports from the customs service, more than eight million lats of armaments were transported across the border between 1995 and 2000. But at the same time there is one interesting fact - supplies to the state make up only half of this amount. Although, according to the documents on foreign economic operations, various small arms were imported into Latvia.
Fighting
Although the Latvian army took part in hostilities, it was not particularly active. There were no direct aggressive threats from other countries, so the government sent its people to participate in various missions.
The Latvian military participated in the formation of the ISAF forces, which were introduced into Afghanistan. The state provided its soldiers in 2003. Losses cost four citizens of Latvia.
During the war in Iraq, the Latvian army was sent in the amount of 140 people to the territory of the hostilities. Then the government sent more and more lots of people. About a thousand soldiers visited Iraq during the war period. Three of them did not return home.
The Latvian army took part in many NATO formations. After the organization decided to introduce its contingent to stabilize the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, the Latvians decided to join them. For nine years, the government sent its citizens to fulfill the mission. A total of four hundred thirty-seven people fought in Kosovo .
Surveillance systems
To better protect the sovereignty of its state, the government issued a decree on the construction of a station with a radar system. It was supposed to be located in the eastern part of the country. The purpose of the station was to monitor the airspace of other Baltic countries - Lithuania and Estonia, as well as parts of Russia and Belarus.
A year after the construction of the radar station, the work of another monitoring object was launched. Long-range radar began to operate in Audrinsky volost. It is designed to control the Baltic countries.
NATO influence
Thanks to cooperation and support from the North Atlantic Alliance, the Latvian army is provided with fairly modern weapons. In 2005, the organization facilitated the supply of equipment of the appropriate level and capacity. This was done to ensure that the state authorities, upon request, provide their contingent for participation in international missions. And for this, the army must be well armed.
Thanks to well-established foreign economic relations, the following are delivered to the country:
- various types of small arms (pistols, machine guns, machine guns, grenade launchers, sniper rifles);
- motor vehicles (armored and unarmored);
- means of communication;
- uniforms (helmets, body armor);
- auxiliary equipment (trucks, tow trucks, ambulances).
Voluntary formation of "Zemessardze"
The Latvian army has a rather interesting structure. The strength of its composition, in addition to the main troops, is also made up of voluntary territorial defense forces. They were formed in 1991 and received the name "Zemessardze". This component of the armed forces of the state is quite numerous. On her account there are eighteen battalions.
This formation receives support from the state, but it is voluntary due to the fact that only five hundred professional military personnel are registered in its units. The remaining ten and a half thousand people are people who joined the formation on their own initiative.
"Zemessardze" is the largest part of the armed forces of Latvia. The chief commander says that people help the state by allocating personal time. But many volunteers have another main place of work. He believes that people are driven by ideology and love for the homeland. This idea is supported by the rest of the Latvian army. A parade to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the formation took place this year .
The tasks of the battalions are:
- liquidation of consequences of fires;
- rescue work;
- control of public order;
- security;
- protection of the land part of Latvia;
- participation in international missions.
Formation structure
The management bodies of this organization are based in three cities - Riga, Liepaja and Rezekne. Each has its own strategic importance:
- The district located in Riga is governed by the headquarters of the first command. He leads five battalions. One of them works on support, the other - infantry. The first provides the army with professional snipers, scouts, doctors and signalmen.
- The district located in Liepaja is governed by the headquarters of the second command. He, like the Riga district, has four infantry battalions under his command. In addition to them, he manages the artillery battalion and the battalion, which is engaged in the defense of the state from weapons of mass destruction.
- The district located in Rezekne is governed by the headquarters of the third command. He manages the infantry, air defense, engineering and student battalion. Students from different countries serve in the latter.
Organizational structure
The Latvian army, strength and armament (2015) is quite large for such a small country: 5100 regular personnel and about 8000 volunteers (as part of the people's militia). A distinctive feature of the armed forces of the state is a simple subordination structure. The entire defense system consists of the following units:
- ground troops;
- aviation;
- marine fleet;
- National Guard;
- command centers.
In the event of martial law, the authorities have the right to transfer all structures belonging to the Ministry of the Interior under the control of the armed forces. Including, these are border detachments and civil defense units.
By geographical location, Latvia is divided into three districts. If earlier military service was mandatory, then, starting in 2007, you can get into the army only on a contract basis. The entire officer corps consists of former cadets of military lyceums.
Development prospects
The main goal in terms of the long-term development of the country's armed forces is to increase defense capability in accordance with the requirements of the North Atlantic Alliance. They mean military construction, which should be completed by 2020. The army should be at such a level that it can strengthen its allies in international peacekeeping missions.
Thanks to this project, in 2011 a single headquarters was formed, which organizes the work of its units and is responsible for cooperation with NATO forces. Its tasks are the development of strategic plans, coordination of actions, command of internal troops, training of staff.
Five thousand seven hundred people are members of the armed forces of Latvia.
Ground troops
The army of Latvia keeps on this kind of troops. Photos speak of powerful training of soldiers and good equipment. Ground forces consist of two units - a motorized infantry brigade and a special forces unit.
The ground forces are armed with small arms (automatic rifles, pistols, grenade launchers), mainly of American and German production. On the basis of this kind of troops there are several tanks, armored personnel carriers and anti-aircraft artillery guns.
Air force
Latvian military aviation can solve a range of tasks independently or accompany and cover ground forces or the navy.
The Army Air Force consists of a squadron, an air defense division, and an airspace control squadron. The first component includes a helicopter bureau and aircraft maintenance. The second component deals with the destruction of targets located at close range. It includes three air defense batteries and a support platoon. The third component controls the communication link, security unit, radar stations. At its disposal are not only planes and helicopters, but also anti-aircraft guns.
In the future, it is planned to carry out a large-scale reconstruction of the infrastructure of air bases, the purchase of longer-range radar systems.
Naval forces
The fleet's task is to control the activities of other states, prevent possible threats, create conditions for a safe economic zone, and regulate shipping and fishing. At the moment, the main work of the naval forces is to equip the water area, in particular, clearing the Baltic Sea. The naval forces consist of a flotilla of warships and a coast guard service.