Latvian National Guard

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 NBS 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 [lv] (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, the roundel of which was a red-white auseklis, became part of the Air Force.^[5]

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.^[6] It, in turn, was phased out by the H&K G36 starting from the late-2010s. A number of Carl Gustaf m/45 submachine guns, donated by Sweden, were also used by the Guard until a phaseout the 2020s.

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 NBS combat support and combat logistics functions. At the same time, the National Guard continues 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.^[7]

As of April 2026, the Latvian National Guard consists of the following units:^[8][9]

• National Guard Headquarters, in Riga^[8][9]
  • National Guard Training Center, in Dobele
  • National Guard Cyber Defence and Electronic Warfare Battalion, in Riga
  • National Guard Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) Support Platoon, in Valmiera
  • National Guard Science, Research and Innovation Implementation Center, in Riga
  • National Guard Veterans Association, in Riga
  • National Guard Orchestra, in Riga
  • 1st Rīga Brigade, in Riga (responsible for Riga and the Zemgale region)^[8][9][10]
    • Student Battalion, in Riga
    • 13th Infantry Battalion, in Riga
    • 17th Combat Support Battalion (Air-defence), in Mārupe (responsible for Jūrmala city, and the Mārupe, Olaine and Ķekava municipalities)
    • 19th Combat Service Support Battalion, in Ropaži (responsible for Ādaži, Salaspilsa and Ropaži municipalities)
    • 53rd Infantry Battalion, in Bauska (responsible for Bauska Municipality)
    • CBRN-Defence Company, in Riga
    • 1st Rīga Brigade Engineer Company, in Iecava
    • 1st Rīga Brigade Medical Company, in Riga
  • 2nd Vidzeme Brigade, in Valmiera^[8][9][11]
    • 22nd Combat Service Support Battalion, in Valmiera (responsible for Valmiera, Valka and Smiltene municipalities)
    • 25th Combat Support Battalion (Artillery and Air-defence), in Gulbene^[12]
    • 26th Infantry Battalion, in Gulbene (responsible for Gulbene and Madona municipalities)
    • 27th Infantry Battalion, in Cēsis (responsible for Cēsis, Limbaži and Sigulda municipalities, and parts of Saulkrasti Municipality)
    • 31st Infantry Battalion, in Alūksne (responsible for Alūksne and Balvi municipalities)
    • 54th Combat Support Battalion (Engineering), in Ogre (responsible for Ogre Municipality)
    • 2nd Vidzeme Brigade Engineer Company, in Valmiera
    • 2nd Vidzeme Brigade Medical Company, in Valmiera
  • 3rd Latgale Brigade, in Rēzekne^[8][9][13]
    • 32nd Infantry Battalion, in Rēzekne (responsible for Rēzekne city, and the Rēzekne and Ludza municipalities)
    • 34th Infantry Battalion, in Daugavpils (responsible for Daugavpils city and Augšdaugava Municipality)
    • 35th Infantry Battalion, in Preiļi (responsible for Preiļi, Līvāni and Krāslava municipalities)
    • 36th Combat Support Battalion (Artillery and Air-defence), in Lūznava
    • 55th Infantry Battalion, in Aizkraukle (responsible for Aizkraukle Municipality)
    • 56th Combat Service Support Battalion, in Jēkabpils (responsible for Jēkabpils Municipality)
    • 3rd Latgale Brigade Engineer Company, in Rēzekne
    • 3rd Latgale Brigade Medical Company, in Rēzekne
  • 4th Kurzeme Brigade, in Kuldīga^[8][9][14]
    • 44th Infantry Battalion, in Liepāja (responsible for Liepāja city and South Kurzeme Municipality)
    • 45th Combat Service Support Battalion, in Kuldīga (responsible for Kuldīga and Saldus municipalities)
    • 46th Infantry Battalion, in Ventspils (responsible for Ventspils city, and the Ventspils and Talsi municipalities)
    • 51st Infantry Battalion, in Dobele (responsible for Dobele and Tukums municipalities)
    • 52nd Combat Support Battalion, in Jelgava (responsible for Jelgava city and Jelgava Municipality)

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.^[33]

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