Latvia has announced plans to transform its military, drawing on lessons learned from the war in Ukraine

Major General Kaspars Pudans, Commander of the Latvian National Armed Forces (NAF), announced plans for major changes to the army’s structure and doctrine in response to threats from Russia. 

Delfi reported this, citing the commander’s remarks, in which he emphasized the importance of applying lessons learned from Ukraine regarding the use of autonomous systems and digital command and control. 

Pudans noted that the results of a strategic analysis of his first year in office indicate the need to abandon outdated concepts in favor of a more flexible and technologically advanced defense.

The planned reforms are currently being tested during military exercises, where the effectiveness of combining existing weapons with the latest developments in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic warfare is being assessed. The commander emphasized that the transformation will not be impulsive but will be based on a thorough study of how the nature of modern combat has changed. In particular, Latvia plans to engage Ukrainian instructors to critique and improve its own defense plans, recognizing the value of the combat experience of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In addition to structural changes, special attention is being paid to the psychological readiness of soldiers and society’s resilience to hybrid threats. Pudans noted that while there is no immediate threat of a full-scale Russian invasion in the near future, the country must be prepared for lower-level incidents. Latvia’s defense ministry has already begun adapting basic training programs to ensure the army is prepared for the challenges of a “transparent” battlefield dominated by drones and electronic warfare capabilities.

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