Wikipedia

List of equipment of the Latvian Land Forces

This is a list of equipment used by the Latvian Land Forces.

Personal equipment edit

 
A Latvian Army soldier uses hand signals to communicate with his comrades during exercise Saber Junction 15. Note the LATPAT camouflage pattern and BEAR-II vest

The equipment of the Latvian Land Forces troops includes:

  • LatPat, Multi-LatPat and WoodLatPat (Latvian digital camouflage uniform).
  • Norwegian BEAR-II load bearing armor system
  • Kevlar helmets
  • Night vision devices

Infantry weapons edit

Model Image Origin Variant Caliber Details
Pistols
Glock     Austria Glock 17
Glock 19
Glock 21
Glock 26		 9×19mm Parabellum Standard issue pistol.[1][2][3]
Heckler & Koch P2A1     Germany Flare gun 26.5mm Complementary order in 2024[4]
Submachine guns
Heckler & Koch UMP     Germany UMP9 9×19mm Parabellum Standard issue submachine gun.[1][3]
Heckler & Koch MP5     West Germany MP5A3 9×19mm Parabellum [3]
Heckler & Koch MP7     Germany MP7A2 HK 4.6×30mm [3][5]
Shotguns
Remington 870     United States MCS 12 gauge [3]
Winchester 1300     United States 12 gauge Is going to be replaced.[3]
Mossberg 500     United States 12 gauge Is going to be replaced.[3]
Assault rifles and Rifles
Heckler & Koch G36     Germany G36V
G36KV
G36KV3		 5.56×45mm NATO Standard issue assault rifle.[1][2][3][6]Complementary order in 2024.[4]
M16     United States M16A1 5.56×45mm NATO Used by Honour Guard, as ceremonial rifle.[7]
M14     United States 7.62×51mm NATO Used by Honour Guard, as ceremonial rifle.[8]
Lee-Enfield     United Kingdom No.4 MkI* .303 British 120 rifles were donated by Canada. Used by Honour Guard, as ceremonial rifle.[9]
Sniper rifles
Heckler & Koch HK417     Germany HK417A2 7.62×51mm NATO [3][5]
PGM Hécate II     France 12.7×99mm NATO Standard issue heavy sniper rifle.[1][2][3]
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare     United Kingdom AW
AXMC
AX50 ELR		 7.62×51mm NATO
12.7×99mm NATO		 AW variant used to be the standard issue sniper rifle.[1][3][5]
Barrett M107     United States M107A1 12.7×99mm NATO [3][5]
Machine guns
FN Minimi     Belgium Minimi Para 5.56×45mm NATO Standard issue light machine gun.[1][2][3]
FN MAG
Kulspruta 58		     Belgium
  Sweden		 FN MAG
Kulspruta 58 B		 7.62×51mm NATO [2][3]
M2 Browning     United States M2HB-QCB 12.7×99mm NATO [10][3]
Grenade launchers
Heckler & Koch AG36     Germany 40×46mm LV [1][3]
Heckler & Koch GMG     Germany 40×53mm HV [1][2][3]Complementary order in 2024[4]
Metallic RBG-6     South Africa
  South Africa
  Croatia		 40×46mm Produced initially without license by Metallic d.o.o. [3]
Anti-tank weapons
SPIKE     Israel SR
LR I
LR II
ER II		 Modern tripod-mounted launcher, programmable attack, fire-and-forget. Fires several missile types, varying in weight and size as they fly from shorter to longer ranges.[2][3][11]
Carl Gustav recoilless rifle     Sweden M2
M4		 84 mm Re-loadable, fires a variety of ammunition. M2 variant used by the National Guard.[12] 800 Carl Gustaf M2 were donated by Norway.[13] Improved M4 variant on order.[14]
AT4     Sweden 84 mm Light weight, one-shot, disposable.[2]
Unmanned aerial vehicles
UAV Factory Penguin C   Latvia Penguin C Long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles.[15]
AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma     United States RQ-20A 3 systems, each having 3 unmanned aerial vehicles.[16]

Military vehicles edit

Name Image Origin Type Variants Quantity Notes
Armoured reconnaissance vehicles
CVR(T)     United Kingdom Armoured reconnaissance vehicle Scimitar
Sultan
Spartan
Samson
Samaritan 		198 116 modernized vehicles in service, plus 7 used for training. 82 additional vehicles on order - to be delivered by 2022.[17][18]
Armoured personnel carriers
Patria 6×6     Finland

  Latvia

Armoured personnel carrier Patria 6×6 >30-50 as of 2023 serving in the National Guard Approximately 200 vehicles on order. To be delivered 2021–2029.[19][20] The first 4 vehicles received on 29 October 2021. Partially built in Latvia from 2021.[21][22]
Armoured cars
Mercedes-Benz G-Class     Austria

  West Germany

Armoured car 290GD 50 [23][24]
Humvee     United States Armoured car M1043A2
M1113 		30
12 		Ten vehicles donated by the United States in 2005.[25] Possibly 28 more purchased later.[26] Some equipped with HK GMG, M2 Browning and Spike anti-tank guided missile.[citation needed]
Trucks
Mercedes-Benz Unimog     Germany Truck U1300
U5000 		120[27]
Scania     Sweden Truck P93
NM154 		184
8 		134 P93 trucks and 8 NM154 recovery vehicles donated by Norway in 2013. 50 more trucks purchased in 2014.[23]
Light vehicles
Can-Am Outlander   Finland

  Canada

All-terrain vehicle Outlander MAX 650XT 582[28] [29]
Polaris RZR     United States Fast attack vehicle MRZR-2
MRZR-4
MV850 		62[30] Option for up to 130 vehicles.[31]
Mercedes-Benz G-Class     Austria

  West Germany

SUV 240GD
300GDN 		+66[32]
12[13] 		[23][33]
Land Rover Defender     United Kingdom SUV D110 2 D110 variant used by military police.[34]
Subaru Forester     Japan SUV 23 23 vehicles used by military police [35]
Nissan Navara     Japan SUV ~55 [35]
Special vehicles
M3 Amphibious Rig     Germany Amphibious bridge layer 4 on order.[36]
Bv 206     Sweden Amphibious tracked vehicle Bv 206A
Bv 206F 		Donated by Sweden in 2002 and 2003.[37]
Cars
Peugeot 308      France Car ~50 [35]
Ford Transit Custom     United States Light commercial vehicle ~35 [35]

Artillery edit

Model Image Origin Caliber Quantity Details
Mortars
GrW 86     Austria 120 mm Multiple units purchased from Austria in 2017.[38]
m/41D     Finland
  Sweden 		120 mm [39]
L16 81mm mortar     United Kingdom
  Norway 		81 mm
Self-propelled artillery
M109A5Ö
Rechenstellenpanzer M109
Driver training vehicle 		    United States
  Austria 		155 mm 47
10
2 		35 howitzers, 10 command and control vehicles and 2 driver training vehicles purchased from Austria in 2017.[40]
Additional 18 howitzers received in 2021.[41] 6 howizers were donated to Ukraine.[42]
Rocket artillery
M142 HIMARS     United States 227 mm 0 (6 on order) In October 2022, Latvian Ministry of Defense announced that the country will acquire 6 systems.[43] The contract was signed in December 2023.[44]

Anti-ship weapons edit

Model Image Origin Type Caliber Notes
Naval Strike Missile     Norway Anti-ship/land-attack missile Contract signed in 2023 and the system is planned to be operational in 2027.[45]

Air-defence equipment edit

Model Image Origin Variant Details
Medium-range air defence systems
IRIS-T     Germany IRIS-T SLM In May 2023, Estonia and Latvia made a decision to jointly procure medium-range IRIS-T SLM.[46] The contract was signed in November 2023 and the systems are planned to be operational in 2026.[47]
Man-portable air-defence systems
FIM-92 Stinger     United States FIM-92 Stinger [48] All to be transferred to Ukraine.[49]
PPZR Piorun     Poland Undisclosed number of missiles ordered in 2022.[50]
RBS-70     Sweden RBS 70 NG [51]
Radars
Saab Giraffe     Sweden [39]
AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel     United States AN/MPQ-64F1 [52]
AN/TPS-77     United States AN/TPS-77
TPS-77 MRR		 [53]

Retired/obsolete equipment edit

In the 1990s, the Latvian Army and National Guard troops were equipped with leftover Soviet, Romanian and Czechoslovak[54] weapons like the AKM, AK-74, SKS rifles and TT and Makarov pistols, alongside early procurements of CZ 82 pistols from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the late 1990s, a gradual switch to the Swedish-made Ak 4 rifle began, but AK-pattern rifles remained. Today Ak4 rifles are mostly kept in storage.[55] In 1995, the Czechs donated 20 120mm mortars (possibly the vz. 82 PRAM-L) and 24 100 mm vz. 53 field guns.[54]

Retired/obsolete vehicles include:

  • 2 BRDM-2 armored cars (donated by Poland by 1992, mostly used by the Suži Airborne Reconnaissance Battalion of the Land Forces, later used as target practice);[56][57]
  • 5 T-55AM Merida tanks (donated by Poland in 1999.[58] Three remaining tanks, still used for training purposes, were reported to have come from the Czech Republic in 2000, not Poland.);[59][60]
  • ~12 Terrängbil m/42 KP IFVs (donated around 1994 by Sweden to the Baltic states, retired by the late 1990s or early 2000s; at least one transferred to the State Border Guard).[60][61][62][63]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Par ieroču modeļu noteikšanu un iepirkumu Nacionālo bruņoto spēku vajadzībām". likumi.lv (in Latvian). 28 July 2005.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Faktu lapa "Nacionālie bruņotie spēki" (2008)". www.mod.gov.lv (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "AM sagatavojusi jaunus armijas ieroču standartus". www.tvnet.lv (in Latvian). LETA. 12 July 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Heckler & Koch erhält Beauftragungen durch mehrere NATO-Länder". soldat-und-technik.de (in German). 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  5. ^ a b c d "UNROCA 2021". unroca.org. UN Register of Conventional Arms.
  6. ^ "Triecienšautene G36 – ierocis, uz ko var paļauties". www.sargs.lv (in Latvian). 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  7. ^ |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/latvijas_armija/sets/72157680138740644
  8. ^ |url=https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02z1HX9zEXu1JvuWgxvPb8FX2x8fx6r7apAa9duwNj5bkunbw7Gw1a4ahN8Jsu2inhl&id=100064486820256
  9. ^ |url=https://www.mod.gov.lv/en/node/7895
  10. ^ "NBS par 1,8 miljoniem eiro iegādāsies 'Browning M2' ložmetējus". www.delfi.lv (in Latvian). BNS. 21 December 2014.
  11. ^ "Latvia takes delivery of new Spike missile variants". janes.com. 7 March 2020.
  12. ^ Tupp, Enn (2018). "Zemessardze - KASP-i ja Kaitseliidu vääriline partner". Kaitse Kodu! (in Estonian). 1. Kaitseliit: 34. ISSN 1406-3387.
  13. ^ a b "National Guard loads up with anti-tank weapons, trucks". eng.lsm.lv/. 2015-03-20. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  14. ^ "Latvia and Estonia Place Orders for Carl-Gustaf M4". saab.com. Saab Press Centre. 13 July 2020.
  15. ^ "Latvia acquires Penguin C long-endurance UAVs". Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  16. ^ "Latvian army with US support to receive EUR 2.4 million worth of drones". Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  17. ^ "NBS saņēmuši visas 2014. gadā parakstītajā līgumā paredzētās kāpurķēžu izlūkošanas mašīnas CVR(T)". sargs.lv (in Latvian). 26 October 2020.
  18. ^ "Pabriks ar Lielbritānijas Bruņoto spēku ministru pārrunās bruņutehnikas iepirkuma noslēgumu". sargs.lv (in Latvian). 2021-10-15. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  19. ^ "Latvia orders 6×6 APCs from Patria". Janes Information Services. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Joint 6x6 programme proceeds - Patria provides 6x6 armoured vehicles for Finland and Latvia". Patria Group. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Patria's manufacturing network is growing in Latvia". Patria. 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  22. ^ "Patria to start vehicles' parts manufacturing in Latvia". Patria. 2020-11-05. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  23. ^ a b c "Bruņotie spēki saņem Norvēģijā pirktās automašīnas un ieročus" (in Latvian). Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  24. ^ "UNROCA original report - Latvia 2015". www.unroca.org.
  25. ^ "Latviešu karavīru draugs "Hummer"". tvnet.lv. 1 June 2005.
  26. ^ "Par ASV naudu pirks "Hummer"". apollo.lv (in Latvian). 10 July 2005.
  27. ^ "2019. gadā turpinājās NBS un Zemessardzes vienību bruņojuma modernizācija". sargs.lv. 13 January 2020.
  28. ^ "2019. gadā turpinājās NBS un Zemessardzes vienību bruņojuma modernizācija". sargs.lv. 13 January 2020.
  29. ^ "Bruņotie spēki no Somijas iegādājušies 6x6 bezceļa transportlīdzekļus" (in Latvian). 15 June 2018.
  30. ^ "Latvijas armija saņems ar ASV atbalstu sagādātus 62 taktiskos transportlīdzekļus" (in Latvian). delfi.lv. Retrieved 6 Feb 2018.
  31. ^ "All 47 howitzers bought from Austria are now in Latvia". eng.lsm.lv. 18 October 2018.
  32. ^ "Armijas vajadzībām pārbūvēs 66 "Mercedes" apvidus auto". www.apollo.lv (in Latvian). 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  33. ^ ""Latvijas Avīze" atmasko: Kad galvā lido šķīvīši…" (in Latvian). 20 June 2017.
  34. ^ "MLR PT.21 ~ LATVIAN MILITARY POLICE D110 SW". joint-forces.com. 28 June 2019.
  35. ^ a b c d "Armijai 247 jauni transportlīdzekļi – arī ģimenes busiņi un "lendkruizeri"" (in Latvian). 5 February 2018.
  36. ^ "Latvijas armija iekārtas no ASV 20 miljonu dolāru vērtībā". nra.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  37. ^ Kristovskis, Gatis (12 June 2018). "Latvia to buy parts of used all-terrain carriers from Sweden for EUR 5.7 million". LETA.
  38. ^ "Latvia gets from Austria second-hand 120 mm mortars". leta.lv. 4 October 2017.
  39. ^ a b "SIPRI Trade Register".
  40. ^ "ARMOUR FOCUS – NEW LATVIAN M109 SPH". joint-forces.com. 4 April 2018.
  41. ^ "Latvijai piegādātas papildu 18 pašgājējhaubices". delfi.lv. 27 July 2021.
  42. ^ "Latvia donates helicopters and howitzers to Ukraine". eng.lsm.lv. 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  43. ^ "Latvia plans to buy six HIMARS systems". LSM. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  44. ^ "Latvia, USA sign HIMARS missile purchase deal". LSM. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  45. ^ "Latvia signs naval missile deal with the United States". LSM. 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  46. ^ "Estonia, Latvia plan joint purchase of German medium-range IRIS-T air defense systems". The Washington Post. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  47. ^ "Latvia secures IRIS-T air defense system purchase from Germany". LSM. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  48. ^ "Latvia signs deal to buy 'Stinger' missiles from Denmark". LSM. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  49. ^ "Latvia to transfer all its Stinger MANPADS to Ukraine". mil.in.ua. 21 April 2023.
  50. ^ "MSPO 2023: More Piorun MANPADS to be Exported!". Defence24. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  51. ^ "Saab Receives Order from Latvia for RBS 70 Missiles". SAAB. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  52. ^ "Latvia receives two more military radar units from US". LSM. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  53. ^ "First new-generation military radar system arriving". LSM. 9 March 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  54. ^ a b "Latvijas armijas bruņojums" [Armament of the Latvian Army]. periodika.lv. Lauku Avīze. 1995-11-03. p. 27. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  55. ^ "Ierocis, kas saistāms ar daudzu 20.-21. gs. konfliktu vēsturi-kalašņikova tipa triecienšautene "AKM"" [A weapon with links to many 20th and 21st century conflicts - the AKM Kalashnikov-type assault rifle]. Sargs.lv (in Latvian). 2021-07-19. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  56. ^ Likteņdzirnās, Latvieši Vēstures (2009-10-27). "Latvieši vēstures likteņdzirnās: Izlūkdesanta bataljons (IDB)". Latvieši vēstures likteņdzirnās (in Latvian). Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  57. ^ "Atjaunotās Latvijas armijas pirmsākumi, 2. daļa". Liepājnieka virtuālie pieraksti (in Latvian). 2008-11-13. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  58. ^ "Soldiering article". soldiering.ru. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  59. ^ Rancāns, Jānis (2018-12-09). "NBS plāno remontēt Čehijas dāvinātos «T-55» tankus" [NAF plans to repair T-55 tanks donated by the Czech Republic]. lsm.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  60. ^ a b Drāke; Melderis, Roberts; Jānis (2011). "NBS VAJADZĪBĀM NEPIECIEŠAMĀS BRUŅUTEHNIKAS IEGĀDES PROBLĒMU ANALĪZE UN TO RISINĀJUMS" [Problem Analysis and Solutions of the Procurement of Necessary Armoured Vehicles for the NAF] (PDF). Militārā zinātne (in Latvian) (4). National Defense Academy of Latvia: 10–11.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  61. ^ "Atjaunotās Latvijas armijas pirmsākumi, 2. daļa". Liepājnieka virtuālie pieraksti (in Latvian). 2008-11-13. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  62. ^ "Svenska veteraner-Terrängbil M/42 KP". Lantvärnet (in Swedish). 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  63. ^ "Armijai zirgus?". Liepājnieka virtuālie pieraksti (in Latvian). 2008-01-21. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
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