NATO’s Multinational Brigade in Latvia Achieves Full Operational Readiness

The NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia, led by Canada, has achieved full operational readiness. In total, the brigade currently comprises units from 14 countries.

This was reported by the publication Soldat und Technik.

The target strength is 3,500 troops, of whom the lead nation, Canada, provides approximately 2,200, including a helicopter battalion with four CH-146 Griffon (Bell 412) and two CH-147 Chinook helicopters, as well as a reconnaissance squadron.

In addition, Sweden’s Scandinavian neighbors—Denmark and Sweden—take turns providing a second battalion each year, while Italy, Poland, and Spain provide mechanized companies.

In 2025, Sweden, as the newest NATO member, deployed 600 troops from its South Scanian Regiment with CV9040 infantry fighting vehicles, LVKV 90 anti-aircraft systems, and Strv 122 tanks to the city of Ādaži, Latvia.

Sweden also deployed Archer wheeled self-propelled howitzers for the brigade’s multinational artillery battalion. To complete the unit’s complement, Latvia is procuring 18 of its own self-propelled howitzers of this type.

Formally, the brigade achieved initial operational readiness during the Oak Resolve exercises in the spring of 2025, but full deployment is expected to be completed only this year.

Canada has already invested over €315 million in expanding military infrastructure at facilities in Ādaži, Cēre, and Lielvārde and plans to spend an additional €64 million.

Most of the funds are earmarked for the expansion of the airbase in Lielvarde. In the future, it will be able to accommodate up to six Griffon and four Chinook helicopters simultaneously, as well as receive CC-177 Globemaster III transport aircraft.

NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia

In light of the changing international security environment, an agreement on the presence of allied forces in the Baltic states and Poland as part of NATO’s enhanced forward presence was approved at the NATO summit in Warsaw in July 2016. The lead nations for the multinational units are: Canada in Latvia, Germany in Lithuania, the United Kingdom in Estonia, and the United States in Poland.

In 2017, troops from Canada, Spain, Poland, Italy, Slovenia, and Albania joined the initial battlegroup in Latvia. In 2018, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Montenegro joined the battlegroup; in 2020, Iceland; in 2022, North Macedonia; in 2024, Denmark; and in 2025, Sweden.

In July 2023, the defense ministers of Latvia and Canada signed a roadmap that outlined the progress already made and identified steps to expand the Canadian-led NATO Multinational Battle Group from battalion to brigade level.