Latvia Plans to Increase Its Armed Forces by Reintroducing Compulsory Military Service

On 5 July 2022, Latvian Defence Minister Artis Pabriks announced on Twitter that the Baltic country would undergo a programme to reintroduce compulsory military service. The decision came in response to the growing security concerns over possible Russian aggressive conduct. According to Pabkris’ post on the popular social platform, expanding the number of effective will serve as a deterrent against potential threats coming from its eastern neighbour. From 2007, the Latvian armed forces were composed of career soldiers and part-time serving volunteers, plus a limited number of NATO troops, but now, Pabriks stresses that the system has reached “its limit of power growth”.

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Slovakia: the CV90 Wins in Infantry Fighting Vehicle Tender

Slovakia's Defence Ministry said an agreement with Sweden would be signed to purchase 152 CV90 MkIV tracked infantry fighting vehicles equipped with 35 mm guns from BAE Hägglunds. The new vehicles will enable Slovakia to replace obsolete Soviet-made IFVs. Contextually, this purchase aims to materialise the attempt to build a heavy mechanised brigade, strengthen its defence and support local industry.

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NATO Announces Fostering the Rapid Reaction Force

The Secretary-general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, announced on 27 June that the Alliance is going to increase the capabilities of its rapid reaction force (NRF) by nearly eight times. The troops dedicated to this unit are going from 40.000 to 300.000, and their characteristic is, as the name suggests, that they can deploy quickly when needed.

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European Union Seeks to Deepen Defence Capabilities in Response to Ukraine Conflict

In response to the current hostilities in Ukraine, the European Union (EU) Commission (2022) has announced in a recent press release that it is committed to deepening its defence capabilities and broadening its defence cooperation. This goal has been reported in light of the recent informal meeting of Heads of State and Government in Versailles.

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Belgium to Acquire Nexter’s Caesar 6×6 NG

On May 13, Belgium’s and France’s Defence ministers, Ludivine Dedonder and Florence Parly signed contracts for the delivery of Nexter’s Caesar 6×6 NG (CAmion Equipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie de Nouvelle Génération) to the Belgian army.

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