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Latvian National Guard

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The Latvian National Guard or NG (Latvian: Latvijas Republikas Zemessardze, ZS) is a part of the Latvian National Armed Forces. The National Guard is a basic land component, consisting of volunteers who perform traditional national guard duties such as crisis response and support for military operations. It consists of the Staff Headquarters and 4 brigades (formally - regions or novadi), which are divided into 18 battalions. The National Guard continued its development also after Latvia joined NATO.

National Guard of the Republic of Latvia
Latvijas Republikas Zemessardze
Emblem of the Latvian National Guard
Founded23 August 1991; 33 years ago (1991-08-23)
Country Latvia
Type
Size10,000 personnel[1]
Part ofLatvian National Armed Forces
Garrison/HQMaiznīcas iela 5, Rīga, LV-1001
Anniversaries23 August
Websitehttps://www.zs.mil.lv
Commanders
Current
commander		Brigadier general Kaspars Pudāns[2]
Insignia
Roundel

History

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National Guard troops firing artillery

The National Guard was established on August 23, 1991 by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia as a voluntary public military self-defense organization.[3] Its roots can be traced to the pre-World War II Aizsargi organization. It is the largest NAF structure in terms of numbers. The National Guard has always played an essential role in the national defense system by allowing the public to be involved in national defense. A number of National Guard battalions have been transformed into high-readiness reserve forces, which can be deployed immediately on international military operations.

The youth organization of the National Guard, the Youth Guard (Latvian: Latvijas Republikas Jaunsardze, JS), was established in 1992. It is the largest youth movement in Latvia, bringing together young people from the age of 10 to 21.[4]

An aviation component of the National Guard was introduced in 1993, with a fleet of ex-Soviet DOSAAF light aircraft and gliders. In 2000 the aviation component became part of the Air Force.

In the 1990s, the National Guard troops (much like the regular armed forces) were equipped with leftover Soviet 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 Automatkarbin 4 began.[5] It, in turn, was phased out by the H&K G36 starting from the late-2010s.

Mission

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The main task of the National Guard is to support the regular Land Force units by defending the national territory during military threat and to perform NAF combat support and combat logistics functions. At the same time, the National Guard will continue providing assistance to the public regarding crisis control, as well as to the Latvian State Police regarding provision of public law and order, and continue the safeguarding of sites of national security importance.[6]

Structure

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A soldier from the Latvian National Guard's 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Battalion aims at targets during tactical training at the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, Mich., during Northern Strike 19.

(as of April 20, 2021:)[7]

National Guard (NG) Headquarters (Rīga)

  • NG Cyber Defense Unit (Rīga)
  • NG special task force
  • NG Special PSYOPS Support Platoon (Valmiera)
  • NG Veterans' Union (Rīga)
  • Central Band of the National Guard (Rīga)

National Guard 1st Brigade (Rīga HQ):

  • NG Student Infantry Battalion (Rīga)
  • NG 13th Infantry Battalion (Rīga)
  • NG 17th Combat Support Battalion (Mārupe)
  • NG 19th Combat Service Support Battalion (Ulbroka)
  • NG 53rd Infantry Battalion (Bauska)
  • NG CBRN Defense Company (Rīga)

National Guard 2nd Assault Brigade (Valmiera HQ):

  • NG 22nd Combat Service Support Battalion (Valmiera)
  • NG 25th Assault Battalion (Gulbene)
  • NG 26th Assault Battalion (Gulbene)
  • NG 27th Assault Battalion (Cēsis)
  • NG 31st Assault Battalion (Alūksne)
  • NG 54th Combat Support Battalion (Ogre)

National Guard 3rd Brigade (Rēzekne HQ):

National Guard 4th Brigade (Liepāja HQ):

  • NG 44th Infantry Battalion (Liepāja)
  • NG 45th Combat Service Support Battalion (Kuldīga)
  • NG 46th Infantry Battalion (Ventspils)
  • NG 51st Infantry Battalion (Dobele)
  • NG 52nd Combat Support Battalion (Jelgava)

Equipment

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Weapons

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Model Image Origin Type Caliber Notes
Pistols
Glock pistol     Austria Semi-automatic pistol 9×19mm Parabellum Glock 17 variant.[8]
SIG Sauer P210     Switzerland Semi-automatic pistol 9×19mm Parabellum [8]
Submachine guns
Carl Gustaf m/45     Sweden Submachine gun 9×19mm Parabellum [8]
Heckler & Koch MP5     Germany Submachine gun 9×19mm Parabellum MP5A3 variant.[9][10]
Rifles
Heckler & Koch G36     Germany Assault rifle 5.56×45mm NATO Main service rifle. Has mostly replaced the Ak4, first contract signed in February 2018.[11]
Heckler & Koch G3     Sweden Battle rifle 7.62×51mm NATO Ak4 variant, donated from Sweden.[8] Being replaced by G36.[12] Used mostly as a reserve weapon. Replaced Soviet rifles
Sniper rifles
M14 rifle     United States Battle rifle 7.62×51mm NATO Large number of rifles were donated by USA after restoration of independence.[13] Modified M-14s used as sniper rifles.[14][15]
SIG Sauer SSG 3000     Germany Sniper rifle 7.62×51mm NATO [15]
Machine guns
RPK   Soviet Union Light machine gun 7.62×39mm [16]
Heckler & Koch HK21     Germany General-purpose machine gun 7.62×51mm NATO [8]
Rheinmetall MG3     Germany General-purpose machine gun 7.62×51mm NATO [8]
FN MAG     Sweden General-purpose machine gun 7.62×51mm NATO Kulspruta 58 B variant.[8]
M2 Browning     United States Heavy machine gun .50 BMG [15]
Anti-tank weapons
AT4     Sweden Recoilless rifle 84 mm [16]
Carl Gustav     Sweden Recoilless rifle 84 mm M2 variant used by the National Guard.[8]
Pvpj 1110     Sweden Recoilless rifle 90 mm 130 units, some on motorized platforms.[8][17]
100 mm vz. 53     Czechoslovakia Field gun 100 mm 23 guns in inventory.[17]
Anti-aircraft weapons
Bofors 40 mm gun     Sweden Anti-aircraft autocannon 40 mm 24 guns in inventory.[8][17] Used with CIG-790 fire control system.[18]
Mortars
L16 81mm mortar     United Kingdom
  Norway 		Mortar 81 mm 28 mortars in inventory.[17]
120-PM-43 mortar     Soviet Union Mortar 120 mm 25 mortars in inventory.[17] Received from the Czech Republic in 1995.[19]

Military vehicles

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Model Image Origin Type Quantity Notes
Armoured personnel carriers
Patria 6×6     Finland

  Latvia

Armoured personnel carrier >4 Approximately 200 vehicles (together with Latvian Land Forces) on order. To be delivered 2021–2029.[20][21]
Trucks
Scania 3-series     Sweden Truck 50 Model P93M. Purchased from Norway between 2014 and 2015.[22][23]
Mercedes-Benz Unimog     Germany Truck Model 416.[23][24]
Volvo C303     Sweden Truck Model Tgb 11, Tgb 13 and Tgb 211A.[24]
Light vehicles
Mercedes-Benz G-Class     Germany SUV Model 240GD and 290GD.[23]
Volkswagen Iltis     Germany SUV [24]
CUCV     United States SUV Model M1008.[23][24]
Special vehicles
Bv 206     Sweden Amphibious tracked vehicle Model Bv 206 and PvBv 2062.[23][25]
Husky VMMD     United States Route clearance vehicle 3 Three Husky 2G vehicles provided to the 54th Engineers Battalion by the US in 2019.[26]
PTS     Soviet Union Amphibious tracked transporter In reserve in the 54th Engineers Battalion[27]
Artillery
M109A5Ö
Rechenstellenpanzer M109
Driver training vehicle 		    United States
  Austria 		Self-propelled artillery 35 howitzers, 10 command and control vehicles and 2 driver training vehicles purchased for Latvian Land Forces and National Guard from Austria in 2017.[28]
Additional 18 howitzers received in 2021.[29] 6 howitzers were donated to Ukraine.[30]

Cooperation

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The National Guard has established close co-operation with similar organizations abroad – the US Michigan Army National Guard, the Australian Army Reserve, the UK Territorial Army, and the Home Guard organizations of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania and Estonia.[31]

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  •  
    54th Engineer Battalion on parade at the 20th anniversary of the Zemessardze, 2011. Enlisted soldiers are wearing the now-obsolete U.S. Woodland camouflage pattern.
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    A NG soldier at the Strong Guard 2016 exercise near Tukums, wearing the LATPAT pattern
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    Joint exercise with U.S. Army soldiers in 2017. Woodland, LATPAT and MultiLATPAT (on modular vest) patterns visible.
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    Servicemembers from the NG's Student Battalion and the Michigan National Guard at the National Clean-up Day in 2018
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    Commanding staff of the 44th Infantry Battalion in 2021, using the current WoodLatPat uniform

References

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  1. ^ "Par mums | Nacionālie bruņotie spēki". mil.lv.
  2. ^ "Kaspars Pudāns". zs.mil.lv.
  3. ^ Baltiņa, Sarmīte (2014). "Dawn of the Restored Latvian National Armed Forces". Eesti Sõjaajaloo Aastaraamat / Estonian Yearbook of Military History. 4: 62–79. ISSN 2228-0669.
  4. ^ "Par iestādi". Jaunsardzes un informācijas centrs (in Latvian). Retrieved 2019-06-06.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ Pike, John. "Latvian National Guard - Zemessardze". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  7. ^ "ZS vienības" (in Latvian). LR Zemessardze. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Tupp, Enn (2018). "Zemessardze - KASP-i ja Kaitseliidu vääriline partner". Kaitse Kodu! (in Estonian). 1. Kaitseliit: 34. ISSN 1406-3387.
  9. ^ "AM sagatavojusi jaunus armijas ieroču standartus". www.tvnet.lv (in Latvian). LETA. 12 July 2018.
  10. ^ Latvijas Republikas Nacionālie Bruņotie Spēki. 1991 – 1994 – 2019 (PDF) (in Latvian). Riga: Latvijas Republikas Aizsardzības ministrijas Nacionālo bruņoto spēku Apvienotais štābs. 2019. p. 85.
  11. ^ Jones, Bruce (6 February 2018). "Latvia orders infantry small arms". IHS Jane's 360. London. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Latvia's National Guard receives G36 rifles". shephardmeida.com. 31 May 2017.
  13. ^ Emerson, Lee. "M14 Rifle History and Development" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  14. ^ "POTD: Latvian National Guard with M14 Rifles". thefirearmblog.com. 16 September 2019.
  15. ^ a b c "Zemessargs vairs lupatas nelasa". diena.lv (in Latvian). 29 March 2019.
  16. ^ a b "ZEMESSARDZES 1. RĪGAS BRIGĀDE". zs.mil.lv (in Latvian). February 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d e The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (14 February 2018). The Military Balance 2018. Routledge. p. 123. ISBN 978-1857439557.
  18. ^ "Latvijas valsts armija gadu griežos". la.lv (in Latvian). 9 November 2012.
  19. ^ "SIPRI Arms Transfers Database". sipri.org.
  20. ^ "Latvia orders 6×6 APCs from Patria". Janes Information Services. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Joint 6x6 programme proceeds - Patria provides 6x6 armoured vehicles for Finland and Latvia". Patria Group. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  22. ^ "National Guard loads up with anti-tank weapons, trucks". eng.lsm.lv. 20 March 2015.
  23. ^ a b c d e "Zemessardzes 3. Latgales Brigade" (PDF).
  24. ^ a b c d "Skrundas novadā atklās militārās tehnikas ekspozīciju" (in Latvian). 18 June 2019.
  25. ^ "Visurgājēju BandVagn apkalpju apmācība Jēkabpils apkaimē". sargs.lv (in Latvian). 12 May 2011.
  26. ^ "US provides Husky mine clearing equipment to Latvia". www.armyrecognition.com. 22 October 2019.
  27. ^ "Zemessardzes 54. inženiertehniskā bataljona amfībiju vadītāji aizvadījuši mācības Koknesē". Sargs.lv (in Latvian). 11 May 2020. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  28. ^ "ARMOUR FOCUS – NEW LATVIAN M109 SPH". joint-forces.com. 4 April 2018.
  29. ^ "Latvijai piegādātas papildu 18 pašgājējhaubices". delfi.lv. 27 July 2021.
  30. ^ "Latvia donates helicopters and howitzers to Ukraine". eng.lsm.lv. 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  31. ^ "Michigan Guard and Latvia celebrate 25-year partnership". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
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