Namejs 2026 military drills take place throughout Latvia / Article

Approximately 12,000 soldiers and reservists from Latvia and allied nations will take part in the exercise.

The exercise is being organised in cooperation with the headquarters of NATO’s Multinational Division North. It will involve soldiers from Canada, the United States, Estonia, Lithuania and other allied nations. Units forming part of NATO’s Multinational Division North, as well as the NATO Force Integration Unit in Latvia, will also be involved in the exercise.

During the “Namejs 2026” exercise, the National Armed Forces will work closely with the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) to ensure timely situational awareness, implement deterrence measures and strengthen the collective response capability in the Baltic region. This cooperation demonstrates the unity and readiness of JEF member states to act swiftly in the event of a threat, whilst improving mutual interoperability and operational procedures.

National Armed Forces Commander Kaspars Pudāns said in an interview with Latvian Television on Wednesday morning that the training plan takes place in accordance with the current geopolitical issues on Latvian border. “We must always have a plan B – how we can transform training into real action if there is a threat,” said Pudāns.

“We will begin today with tactical training in the eastern regions [..], check procedures. Next, a week later, we’ll do it in Rīga, focusing on other units, together with allies the entire time.”

Mobilisation exercises to be organised

In September and October, as part of ‘Namejs 2026’, the National Armed Forces will organise mobilisation exercises. The aim of the mobilisation exercises is to test and improve the integration of Home Guard and reserve personnel into the combat structure of the National Armed Forces, as well as to refine procedures for the mobilisation and provision of resources.

During the exercises, the procedures for notifying Home Guard members and reservists will be tested, as well as the ability to provide personnel with equipment and weapons at short notice.

“As it has been the past years, the main goal is to test action close to reality. There will be transport convoys on roads. This weekend, the training is taking place more in the east, so the vehicles will also be east-bound,” said Pudāns.

The involvement of civilian institutions in the “Namejs 2026” exercise will be led by the Crisis Management Centre, which will form thematic groups (communications, energy, transport, food, etc.) that, through mutual coordination, will ensure the support required for national defence needs and the continuity of operations across sectors.

Whilst the exercise tasks are being carried out, military aircraft will be flying in Latvian airspace, including at low altitude, and live-fire exercises will take place at firing ranges. The National Armed Forces (NBS) urges members of the public to keep up to date with the latest information on the exercises via the NBS’s social media accounts, the NBS website and the websites of the relevant local authorities.

If you notice any suspicious activity, the NBS urges members of the public to contact the State Security Service via the 24-hour hotline on 67208964 or by email at info@vdd.gov.lv.

The NBS urges the public to report any suspicious activity near the national border to the State Border Guard via the 24-hour hotlines 67075616 and 67075718.

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