Latvian Air Force
The Latvian Air Force (Gaisa spēki) was founded in the War of Independence on 7 June 1919, dissolved by the Soviet occupation in 1940 and restored in 1992 with biplanes at Spilve; today it has no fighters, flies UH-60M Black Hawks from the former Soviet base at Lielvārde, runs Latvia’s radars and ground-based air defence, and hosts the NATO fighters that guard its sky.
The Latvian Air Force story: born in 1919, dissolved in 1940 and host to NATO’s fighters at Lielvārde
1919–1920: born in a war, with captured aircraft
Latvia’s military aviation was born in the middle of its War of Independence. On 7 June 1919 First Lieutenant Alfrēds Valeika was ordered to form an aviation group for the new army, and its first aircraft were a Nieuport 24bis and Sopwith 1½ Strutters taken from German forces. Wikipedia dates the first flight to 5 August 1919 and the first bombing mission to 26 August; Britain sent more aircraft in December. By the armistice with Soviet Russia on 1 February 1920 Latvian aircraft had flown 69 combat sorties and 101 hours, according to the air force’s own history. A flying school followed on 20 January 1920. It was a small and improvised force, but it gave the service its founding date and its motto, Visu par Latviju — All for Latvia.
1921–1940: Spilve, VEF and the strongest air arm in the Baltics
Between the wars the air arm grew into something more serious. It became the Aviation Division in March 1921 and the Aviation Regiment in September 1926, with a network of airfields at Spilve, Krustpils, Daugavpils, Liepāja and Gulbene. Latvia bought abroad — 26 Gloster Gladiators, Bristol Bulldogs, 21 Letov Š-16Ls, Hawker Hinds, ten Stampe trainers and four Fairey Seal floatplanes, three of which flew about 6,000 km to England and back in 1936 — and built aircraft at home, at VEF and the Liepāja naval workshops. In 1939 the regiment had eight squadrons with 60 aircraft and 120 pilots, per mil.lv, and the air force still calls it the strongest in the Baltic states. It was not strong enough to matter: 30 Hurricanes, paid for in 1939, never arrived.
1940–1991: occupation, and a Soviet base at Lielvārde
The regiment never fought for its country. The Red Army entered Latvia in June 1940, and on 25 December 1940 the Aviation Regiment ceased to exist; the air force’s history says its aircraft were taken to the USSR and its people deported. Gladiators went into Soviet service, and some later into German hands as glider tugs; the Fairey Seals were destroyed by German bombs on 28 June 1941. For the next half century Latvia was Soviet air space. In 1969 the Soviets built an airfield near Lielvārde for an attack aircraft regiment; the 899th regiment moved there from Riga-Rumbula in 1980 and left for Russia in June and July 1993. That airfield would become the new air force’s home.
1992–2014: starting again with biplanes and gliders
The restored air force began from nothing. An Air and Air Defence Administration was set up on 24 February 1992 and the air force was re-established on 17 June 1992 at Spilve, the old Riga airfield. The departing Soviet forces left no aircraft, so its first fleet was six An-2 biplanes and four Mi-2 helicopters from civil aviation, then two L-410s given by Germany, six Wilga trainers and a stock of gliders. One L-410 crashed on 7 June 1995, killing both pilots, according to Wikipedia. The Aviation Squadron moved to Lielvārde in August 1994. Mi-8MTV and Mi-17 helicopters gave it a real rescue capability in the 2000s, an Air Defence Battalion trained on Swedish RBS-70s from 2000, and after NATO membership in 2004 the effort went into radars and the Air Operations Centre, opened in March 2009.
2014–2023: Black Hawks, radars and the NATO host
What Latvia chose not to buy defines its air force: it has never had fighters, and since 30 March 2004 its skies have been policed by allied jets under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission. Instead it invested in the ground. Lielvārde was rebuilt between 2007 and 2014, and the air force concentrated all its units there. In September 2018 the cabinet approved four UH-60M Black Hawks for EUR 175 million; the first two arrived on 11 December 2022, and the old Mi-17s went to Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion. The base filled with allies: 20 US Army Apaches arrived in February 2022, and in May 2023 Latvia and Estonia chose IRIS-T as their joint medium-range air defence, the largest air defence investment in their history.
2024–2026: drones, air defence and allied fighters
Since 2024 the air force’s job has been measured in drones. On 1 March 2024 NATO air policing was flown from Lielvārde for the first time, by German Eurofighters, while Ämari was rebuilt. A Russian Shahed-type drone crashed in eastern Latvia that September; in 2025 an airspace zone along the border was closed, and in 2026 allied fighters shot down drones over Latgale in June and August. Lielvārde now hosts visiting Rafales, Turkish F-16s and, for the September 2026 elections, four German Eurofighters. The good news is real: a modern radar network, Black Hawks and IRIS-T arriving. The limits are too: Latvia’s own air force still has two to four modern helicopters, no fixed-wing combat capability, and depends on allies for the one thing most people expect an air force to do.
The Latvian Air Force in numbers
Service
- Native name
- Gaisa spēkiThe name on mil.lv; the service belongs to the National Armed Forces (Nacionālie bruņotie spēki). Latvian is the only official language
- Founded
- 7 June 1919Army Aviation Group formed in the War of Independence; Aviation Regiment from 28 September 1926 (18 September on another mil.lv page); dissolved 25 December 1940
- Restored
- 17 June 1992Air and Air Defence Administration formed on 24 February 1992; 17 June 1992 is the restoration anniversary
- Headquarters
- Lielvārde Air BaseNBS Aviācijas bāze, Rembates pagasts, Ogres novads
- Commander
- Col. Edmunds SvenčsSince 4 September 2026; predecessor Col. Viesturs Masulis (2020–2026)
- Minister of Defence
- Raivis MelnisConfirmed by the Saeima on 29 May 2026 after Andris Sprūds resigned on 10 May
Strength
- Personnel
- No official strength figure was found; Wikipedia’s figure is unsourced and is not used here
- Combat aircraft
- NoneAir policing is provided by NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission since 30 March 2004
- Helicopters
-
- UH-60M Black Hawk — 2 confirmed, 4 ordered
Wikipedia gives three in service. The Mi-17s went to Ukraine
- Fixed-wing
-
- An-2 — 4 (Wikipedia)
- Pelegrin Tarragon — 2 (Wikipedia)
Neither type is on the air force’s current equipment page
- Ground-based air defence
- RBS-70 with Giraffe radarsAir Defence Battalion since 1 March 2000; RBS-70 NG and Giraffe 1X ordered in 2022; IRIS-T SLM from 2026
- Defence budget
- EUR 1.559 billion (2025)3.45 per cent of GDP; EUR 1.768 billion planned for 2026; EUR 20 million went to drone capability in 2025
Infrastructure
- Air bases
-
- Lielvārde (EVGA) — all Air Force units; RWY 18/36, 2,500 m
The only aerodrome listed for military use in the Latvian AIP
- Historic airfields
-
- Spilve, Riga — 1919–1940 and 1992–1994
- Krustpils, Daugavpils, Liepāja, Gulbene — interwar network
Spilve is now a general aviation field and aviation museum
- Radar surveillance
- Airspace Surveillance SquadronFormed 1 July 2004; Sentinel and PS-70 radars feed the Air Operations Centre at Lielvārde. Air Force radar detected a Russian aircraft violating Latvian airspace on 6 November 2023
- Allied presence
-
- Baltic Air Policing detachments (Lielvārde 2024; visits 2026)
- Spanish NASAMS battery at Lielvārde
- Canadian CH-146 Griffons at Riga Airport since July 2024
All allied, not Latvian, units
How the Latvian Air Force is organised
One headquarters over five units, every one of them at Lielvārde: the Aviation Squadron, the Airspace Surveillance Squadron, the Air Defence Battalion, the Air Force Base and the Training Centre. Latvia has no fighters; its air force flies helicopters, runs the radars, the Air Operations Centre and the ground-based air defence, and hosts the allied NATO fighters that guard Latvian airspace. The Spanish NASAMS battery at Lielvārde and the Canadian CH-146 Griffons at Riga Airport are allied units, not Latvian.
Air Force Headquarters
At Lielvārde, one of the services of the National Armed Forces; the 2017 restructuring made the former Aviation Base headquarters the Air Force headquarters. Col. Edmunds Svenčs took command on 4 September 2026 from Col. Viesturs Masulis, commander since 2020.
Aviation Squadron
The air force’s only flying unit, formed at Spilve in 1992 with six An-2s and four Mi-2s and at Lielvārde since August 1994. Its UH-60M Black Hawks, the first two delivered on 11 December 2022, fly search and rescue at sea, medical evacuation, firefighting, transport and parachute drops; the Mi-17s went to Ukraine.
Airspace Surveillance Squadron
Formed on 1 July 2004. It operates Sentinel and PS-70 radars and runs the Air Operations Centre, opened in March 2009, which builds Latvia’s recognised air picture and controls the fighters that respond.
Air Defence Battalion
Formed on 1 March 2000 after training in Sweden, with RBS-70 missiles and Giraffe radars; RBS-70 NG and Giraffe 1X were ordered in 2022. IRIS-T SLM, bought jointly with Estonia, is due from 2026; the ministry does not name the unit that will operate it.
Air Force Base and Training Centre
The Air Force Base runs airfield operations, navigation aids, weather, aircraft servicing and fire and rescue; the Air Force Training Centre was formed in March 2018.
What the Latvian Air Force flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sikorsky UH-60M Black HawkIn service | Utility, search and rescue helicopter | 2 | 2022 | Four ordered.
MoreThe ministry confirms the first two, which arrived on 11 December 2022; it said the other two would follow by the end of 2023, but no official page reached for this dataset confirms that they did. Wikipedia lists three in service and one outstanding. Range: 2–4. |
||
| Antonov An-2In service | Light transport and parachute aircraft | 4 | 1992 | Four per Wikipedia, three of them refurbished (2016, August 2020, December 2021).
MoreThe An-2 is not on the air force’s current equipment page, so its status in 2026 is not officially confirmed. |
||
| Pelegrin TarragonIn service | Ultralight trainer and observation aircraft | 2 | 2022 | Two contracted in September 2021 for delivery in 2022 and 2023, per Wikipedia; not confirmed on an official page. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diehl IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defence systemOn order | 3 | 2026 | Purchase order signed 30 November 2023 for about EUR 600 million, bought jointly with Estonia (umbrella agreement 11 September 2023). Deliveries from 2026.
MoreThe quantity of three fire units is from Wikipedia; the ministry gives no number and does not name the operating unit. A Baltic maintenance hub with Diehl Defence and Ripo Remonta Centrs was agreed on 16 March 2026. A ground-based system, not an aircraft. |
|
| Sikorsky UH-60M Black HawkOn order | 2 | 2022 | Four ordered; the last two were due by the end of 2023. Their delivery is not confirmed on an official page reached for this dataset; Wikipedia says one of four is still outstanding. |
Every type the Latvian Air Force has retired
15 types, from the Nieuport 24bis to the Mil Mi-8MTV / Mi-17. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mil Mi-8MTV / Mi-17 | Transport and search and rescue helicopter | UH-60M Black Hawk | Wikipedia: two Mi-8MTVs acquired in the early 2000s and two more bought from the Ulan-Ude factory in 2004; four Mi-17s on strength in 2018.
MoreTotals differ between its sections, so no single figure is given. |
|||
| Gloster Gladiator | Fighter | 24 | 26 delivered; 24 in the fighter squadrons in 1939. | |||
| Bristol Bulldog | Fighter | Gloster Gladiator | Original total not confirmed; 11 were sold to Basque forces in 1936 and six remained in 1939. | |||
| Letov Š-16L | Reconnaissance-bomber | 12 | 21 built for Latvia; up to 12 in service in 1939. | |||
| Hawker Hind (Latvian) | Reconnaissance and trainer | 2 | Three delivered; two listed in 1939. | |||
| Stampe et Vertongen SV.5 Tornado | Trainer | 10 | 1936–1940 | Ten shipped to Riga in September 1936. | ||
| Fairey Seal | Naval reconnaissance floatplane | 4 | 1934–1940 | Four ordered in 1934. | ||
| VEF I-12 | Trainer (Aizsargi aviation) | 4 | 1938–1940 | At least four for the Aizsargi (national guard) aviation regiment in 1938, per Wikipedia. | ||
| VEF I-16 (prototype) | Prototype fighter | 1 | 1940–1940 | One prototype; some sources claim three. | ||
| PZL Mi-2 | Light helicopter | 4 | 1992– | Four at the start, per the Aviation Squadron history and Wikipedia. | ||
| Let L-410UVP Turbolet | Light transport | 2 | 1993– | Two donated by Germany in 1993, per Wikipedia. | ||
| PZL-104 Wilga 35A | Trainer and liaison | 6 | 1993– | Six ex-DOSAAF aircraft from March 1993, per Wikipedia. | ||
| Gliders (LET L-13 Blaník, SZD-48-3 Jantar, LAK-12) | Glider training | 1992– | About 20 Blaníks, three Jantars and three LAK-12s, per Wikipedia. | |||
| Nieuport 24bis | Fighter | 1919– | Captured aircraft; numbers not given. | |||
| Sopwith 1½ Strutter | Reconnaissance-bomber | 1919– | Captured examples in 1919; Wikipedia adds three from Britain in December 1919. |
Where the Latvian Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the ones that have closed. Lielvārde is Latvia’s only military airfield, and every fighter on it is allied: NATO’s Baltic Air Policing flew a full rotation from here for the first time from 1 March 2024, and in September 2026 four German Eurofighters deployed to guard the elections. Spilve in Riga, the air force’s airfield from 1919 to 1940 and again from 1992 to 1994, is now a general aviation field and aviation museum; Riga Airport hosts only an allied helicopter detachment.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LielvārdeOgre Municipality (Ogres novads), Rembate parish | EVGA | Active | 18/362,500 mconcrete and asphalt composite |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Latvian Air Force
Flying units by base, current units first. The Aviation Squadron is the only Latvian flying unit; the German, Spanish, American and Canadian detachments at Lielvārde and Riga are listed too, each marked as allied, not Latvian. Where a type or a count rests on Wikipedia alone, the entry says so.
- Air Force Headquarters (Gaisa spēku štābs)Headquarters · active
- Aviation Squadron (Aviācijas eskadriļa)Helicopter and transport squadron · active
- UH-60M Black Hawk
- Airspace Surveillance Squadron (Gaisa telpas novērošanas eskadriļa)Radar surveillance and air operations centre · active
- Air Defence Battalion (Pretgaisa aizsardzības divizions)Ground-based air defence · active
- Air Force Base (Gaisa spēku bāze)Airfield support unit · active
- Air Force Training Centre (Gaisa spēku mācību centrs)Training unit · active
- German Air Force Eurofighter deploymentTemporary fighter deployment · allied
- Eurofighter Typhoon
- Spanish NASAMS batteryGround-based air defence · allied
- US Air Force rotational personnelRotational support · allied
- German Air Force Baltic Air Policing detachment2024–2024
- Eurofighter Typhoon
- 1st Battalion (Attack Reconnaissance), 3rd Aviation Regiment, US Army2022–2022
- AH-64D/E Apache
No unit matches that search.
Latvian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
7 June: Lt Alfrēds Valeika is ordered to form the Latvian army’s Aviation Group; first flight 5 August, first bombing mission 26 August.
20 January: military aviation school founded. 1 February: armistice with Soviet Russia after 69 combat sorties and 101 flying hours; peace treaty 11 August.
March: the Aviation Park becomes the Aviation Division, with aircraft from Italy, Czechoslovakia and Britain.
Five squadrons; airfields at Spilve, Krustpils, Daugavpils, Liepāja and Gulbene.
28 September: the Aviation Division becomes the Aviation Regiment (18 September on another mil.lv page).
Eleven Bulldogs sold to Basque forces; three Fairey Seals fly about 6,000 km to England and back; ten Stampe SV.5s arrive.
Eight squadrons with 60 aircraft and 120 pilots, per mil.lv; 30 Hurricanes ordered and paid for, never delivered.
June: Soviet occupation. 25 December: the Aviation Regiment officially ceases to exist; aircraft go to the USSR and personnel are deported.
The Soviet airfield at Lielvārde is built for an attack aircraft regiment.
24 February: Air and Air Defence Administration formed; 17 June: the Air Force is restored, flying An-2s and Mi-2s from Spilve.
August: the Aviation Squadron moves to Lielvārde, vacated by the Russian regiment in 1993.
1 March: the Air Defence Battalion is formed, trained in Sweden.
Latvia joins NATO; Baltic Air Policing starts on 30 March; the Airspace Surveillance Squadron is formed on 1 July.
March: the Air Operations Centre opens at Lielvārde.
March: Training Centre formed. September: cabinet approves four UH-60M Black Hawks.
February: 20 US Army Apaches arrive at Lielvārde. 11 December: the first two UH-60Ms arrive; Mi-17s go to Ukraine.
1 March: NATO air policing is flown from Lielvārde for the first time, by German Eurofighters. 7 September: a Russian Shahed drone crashes in Rēzekne municipality.
8 June and 14 August: allied fighters shoot down drones over Latvia. 4 September: Col. Edmunds Svenčs takes command. 24 September: German Eurofighters deploy to Lielvārde for the elections.
Every war the Latvian Air Force has fought
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- The Latvian War of Independence 1919–1920 Reconnaissance and bombing with captured and British-supplied aircraft
- The Soviet occupation of Latvia 1940 Did not resist; the government accepted the Soviet ultimatum and the regiment was dissolved
- Air defence of the eastern border 2024–2026 Radar detection, air picture and control from the Air Operations Centre; ground-based air defence along the border
Who built the Latvian Air Force fleet
Every company behind the aircraft on this page has its own page: the story, every type it built, the numbers and the other air forces that fly them.
Former fleet
Let Kunovice, VEF, Bristol Aeroplane Company, Fairey, Gloster, Hawker, Letov, Mil, Nieuport, PZL, PZL-Świdnik, Sopwith, Stampe et Vertongen
Latvian Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Latvian Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.
Everything people ask about the Latvian Air Force
What is the Latvian Air Force called in Latvian?
Does Latvia have fighter jets?
What aircraft does the Latvian Air Force fly?
How many Black Hawks does Latvia have?
Where is the Latvian Air Force based?
When was the Latvian Air Force founded?
Was Latvia’s interwar air force really the strongest in the Baltics?
Who commands the Latvian Air Force?
What air defence is Latvia buying?
Have drones been shot down over Latvia?
Read the aircraft the Latvian Air Force flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- Nacionālie bruņotie spēki: Gaisa spēki (unit page)Official name; commander Col. Edmunds Svenčs; unit list; address NBS Aviācijas bāze, Rembates pagasts, Ogres novads; equipment list (UH-60M, PS-70, Sentinel, RBS-70); key dates 7 June 1919, 25 December 1940, 24 February 1992, 17 June 1992.
- Nacionālie bruņotie spēki: Gaisa spēku vēstureFounding order of 7 June 1919 to Lt Alfrēds Valeika; 69 combat sorties and 101 flying hours to the armistice of 1 February 1920; 1921 Aviation Division; 1924 five squadrons and airfields at Spilve, Krustpils, Daugavpils, Liepāja, Gulbene; 28 September 1926 Aviation Regiment; 1939 eight squadrons, 60 aircraft, 120 pilots; commanders 1919–1940 and 1992–2026; Operations Centre March 2009; Training Centre March 2018.
- Nacionālie bruņotie spēki: Aviācijas eskadriļaFormed at Spilve with six An-2 and four Mi-2; moved to Lielvārde in August 1994; UH-60M (first two received); tasks; commander Lt Col Ģirts Volframs.
- Nacionālie bruņotie spēki: Gaisa spēku bāzeAir Force Base unit: airfield operations, navigation, meteorology, fire and rescue at Lielvārde; commander Lt Col Ainārs Ērglis; 1919–1940 lineage dates.
- Nacionālie bruņotie spēki: Gaisa telpas novērošanas eskadriļaAirspace Surveillance Squadron formed 1 July 2004; Baltic regional airspace initiative signed 6 February 1997; Air Operations Centre; Sentinel F1 and PS-70 radars.
- Nacionālie bruņotie spēki: Pretgaisa aizsardzības divizionsAir Defence Battalion formed 1 March 2000 after training in Sweden from spring 1999; RBS-70, PS-70, Sentinel.
- Nacionālie bruņotie spēki: Gaisa spēku simbolikaSilver eagle emblem; motto Visu par Latviju; flag presented 17 June 1997.
- NBS: Latvijā ierodušies Vācijas Eurofighter iznīcinātāji (24 September 2026)Four German Eurofighters arrive at Lielvārde for a temporary deployment.
- NBS: Lielvārdē notiks NATO mediju diena (28 September 2026)Media day on 1 October 2026: Spanish NASAMS, Latvian Blaze drone interceptor, German Eurofighter, Canadian Griffon.
- MoD: Allied fighter jets to strengthen the protection of Latvia’s airspace during the elections (17 September 2026)Germany, Italy and Türkiye respond; German Eurofighters at Lielvārde; quote by Raivis Melnis.
- MoD: Foreign drone shot down by allied fighter jets in Latvian airspace (14 August 2026)Baltic Air Policing fighters shoot down a drone; threat lifted at 04:50 in five municipalities.
- MoD: The drone shot down in Balvi Municipality was a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (20 August 2026)Drone entered from Belarus at 04:00 on 14 August, likely diverted by Russian electronic warfare; model withheld.
- MoD: Turkish F-16 fighter jets land at Lielvārde military base (21 August 2026)Two Turkish F-16s from Ämari; Italy leads Baltic Air Policing at Šiauliai from 31 July 2026.
- MoD: Allied fighters shoot down foreign drone in Latvian airspace (8 June 2026)Drone shot down over Latgale by Baltic Air Policing fighters.
- MoD: French Rafale fighter jets land at Air Base Lielvārde (14 April 2026)Two Rafales from Šiauliai; France took over Baltic Air Policing on 1 April 2026; quote by Andris Sprūds.
- MoD: Unmanned aerial vehicles from russia enter Latvian airspace; two crash within national territory (8 May 2026)7 May 2026: drones over Balvi, Ludza and Rēzekne; oil storage tanks damaged in Rēzekne.
- MoD: Defence Minister Andris Sprūds has resigned from office (10 May 2026)Minister since 15 September 2023; resignation announced 10 May 2026.
- MoD: Saeima confirms Raivis Melnis as Minister of Defence (29 May 2026)New defence minister confirmed.
- MoD: Latvia and Germany sign a memorandum on IRIS-T system maintenance in the Baltics (16 March 2026)Diehl Defence and Ripo Remonta Centrs Baltic support hub; IRIS-T SLM contract 30 November 2023, deliveries from 2026.
- MoD: NATO announces the establishment of the mission Eastern Sentry (18 September 2025)Counter-drone mission announced 12 September 2025.
- MoD: Latvia to close airspace zone along eastern border with Belarus and Russia (11 September 2025)Restricted zone from 18:00 on 11 September 2025; quotes by Andris Sprūds and Commander Kaspars Pudāns.
- MoD: Saeima approves Latvian defence budget for 2025 of more than EUR 1.559 billion (27 December 2024)EUR 1,559,433,634, 3.45 per cent of GDP; plans of EUR 1.768 billion (2026), 1.841 billion (2027), 1.655 billion (2028); layered air defence a main project.
- MoD: 20 million defence investment in development of drone capability (8 January 2025)EUR 20 million in 2025, over 10 million for drone procurement.
- MoD: Secretary of the United States Air Force visits the Air Force Base Lielvārde (22 August 2024)Frank Kendall with Col. Viesturs Masulis; rotational US Air Force personnel, Spanish NASAMS battery and German air policing personnel at the base.
- MoD: The Russian out of control drone that crashed in Gaigalava parish was a Shahed type drone (9 September 2024)Crash of 7 September 2024 in Rēzekne municipality.
- MoD: Defence Minister to visit Canadian Tactical Aviation Detachment at Riga Airport (11 September 2024)Four RCAF CH-146 Griffons at Riga Airport since the end of July 2024.
- MoD: Latvia will take over NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission (9 January 2024)Air policing moves to Lielvārde while Ämari is rebuilt: gradual from 9 January, full rotation from 1 March 2024.
- MoD: Latvia and Diehl Defence sign purchase order for the IRIS-T medium-range air defence system (30 November 2023)About EUR 600 million; deliveries from 2026; range up to 40 km, altitude up to 20 km.
- MoD: Latvia and Estonia sign an umbrella agreement for IRIS-T (14 September 2023)Signed 11 September 2023; largest air defence investment in both countries’ history.
- MoD: Latvia and Estonia will implement joint air defence system procurement (21 May 2023)IRIS-T chosen; air policing to move to Lielvārde in 2024.
- MoD: Russia violates Latvia’s airspace (7 November 2023)Violation detected by Air Force radar on 6 November 2023.
- MoD: Black Hawk helicopter induction ceremony (20 February 2023)Ceremony 23 February 2023 at Lielvārde; first two arrived 11 December 2022; four ordered for EUR 175 million; remaining two due by end of 2023.
- MoD: Ināra Mūrniece: Latvia strengthens its national defence capabilities (30 December 2022)First two of four UH-60M received in December 2022; RBS-70 NG and Giraffe 1X ordered.
- MoD: U.S. military presence to be strengthened in Latvia (8 December 2022)US rotational artillery and aviation units at Ādaži and Lielvārde.
- MoD: Support for UkraineMi-17 helicopters and Stinger systems transferred; no numbers given; about EUR 665 million in military aid 2022–2025.
- AIP Latvia, AD 2 EVGA Lielvārde (MIL) (Non-AIRAC AMDT 003/2026, 3 September 2026)LGS; ARP 564645N 0245114E, elevation 207 ft, RWY 18/36 2,500 x 45 m composite, operator Latvian National Armed Forces Air Force.
- AIP Latvia, AD 1.3 Index to aerodromes and heliports (3 September 2026)Lielvārde is the only aerodrome listed for military use.
- AIP Latvia, AD 2 EVRA Riga (Non-AIRAC AMDT 003/2026, 3 September 2026)ARP 565525N 0235816E, elevation 37 ft, RWY 18/36 3,200 x 45 m asphalt; operator Riga International Airport.
- AIP Latvia, AD 2 EVRS Spilve (Non-AIRAC AMDT 003/2026, 3 September 2026)ARP 565931N 0240428E, elevation 5 ft, RWY 14/32 1,000 x 23 m asphalt; operator Foundation Lidosta Spilve.
Figures verified 2026-09-29. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
Photographs: Photo: Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Tarragon in civil markings shown): JurisNoLaukiem / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (L-410 in other markings shown): Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Wilga in civil markings shown): Łukasz Golowanow and Maciek Hypś, Konflikty.pl / Wikimedia Commons (Attribution) · Photo (Nieuport 24bis replica shown): Oren Rozen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (RAF 1½ Strutter shown): Nimbus227 / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Royal Air Force Gladiator. San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Royal Air Force Bulldog. [[User:Ad Meskens|Ad Meskens You are free to use this picture for any purpose as / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Letov Š-16 shown): L’Aéronautique magazine / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Le Pontential Aérien Mondial 1936 / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)