NATO’s Multinational Brigade in Latvia Completes First Major Field Exercise
NATO’s Multinational Brigade in Latvia completed Exercise Resolute Warrior on November 14, the unit’s first major military field exercise following its expansion to brigade strength in October.
The 14 day exercise conducted across training ranges in central and northern Latvia tested the new brigade’s ability to project its forces, maintain command, control, and communication and integrate all its subordinate, enabling, and flanking units in concert with higher command. This, according to NATO, demonstrates the alliance’s ability to “deter and defend” along its eastern flank.
During a speech at the Distinguished Visitors’ Day at the Ādaži military base that served as the conclusion to the exercise, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the expansion of the brigade to its strength of around 3,000 soldiers, as “more NATO means more security for all of us”. Rutte also thanked Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs for Latvia’s support for the brigade and exercise, saying “Latvia leads by example” on NATO military spending.
“You are, as you said, spending more than 3% of GDP on defence. You are planning to do even more next year”, said Rutte. “But we need more defence spending and we need increased defence production across the Alliance. To have the right forces, but also to have the right capabilities to keep our people safe.”
NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia was established in July 2024, with its expansion to brigade strength officially taking place on 17 October, with command of the NATO Multinational Battle Group transferred from the Latvian Land Forces’ Mechanized Infantry Brigade to the Multinational Brigade.
13 NATO members currently contribute units to the Multinational Brigade, including Albania, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. The Canadian-led brigade will continue receiving additional units through 2026, at which point the various units committed will be persistently deployed in Latvia.