Editor's Foreword

146 ThE MiliTary BalancE 2010
AT
RL 73mm RPG-7 Knout; 84mm AT-4; 90mm
GUNS 143: 76mm 3; 90mm 140
AD
SAM • MANPAD 5 Strela 2M (SA-7) Grail
GUNS • TOWED 52: 14.5mm 2 ZPU-4; 20mm 10 FK-20;
23mm 16 GSH-23; 30mm 2: 1; 1 AK-230; 40mm 22 L/70
Navy 587 (incl Coast Guard)
1 Naval HQ commands a Naval Forces Flotilla separated
into two squadrons: an MCM squadron and a Patrol Boat
squadron. LVA, EST and LTU have set up a joint Naval unit*
BALTRON with bases at Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils (LVA),
Tallinn (EST), Klaipeda (LTU).*Each nation contributes 1–2
MCMVs
EQUIPMENT By TyPE
PATROL AND COASTAL COMBATANTS 12
PCO 1 Valpas (Coast Guard)
PFB 4 Storm with 1 L-70 40mm gun, 1 TAK-76 76mm
gun
PB 7: 5 KBV 236; 1 Lokki Class; 1 Astra (All for Coast
Guard duties)
MINE WARFARE • MINE COUNTERMEASURES 5
MHC 5: 1 Lindau; 4 Imanta (NLD Alkmaar)
LOGISTICS AND SUPPORT 3
AG 1 Vidar
SPT 1 Varonis (C3 and support ship, ex-Buyskes)
YDT 1
fACILITIEs
Bases Located at Liepaja, Daugavgriva (Riga – Coast
Guard)
Air force 319
Main tasks are air space control and defence, maritime and
land SAR and air transportation.
fORCEs By ROLE
Comd 1 AF HQ
Surv 1 sqn
Spt 1 sqn
AD 1 bn
AIRCRAFT
TPT 3: 2 An-2 Colt; 1 L-410 Turbolet
HELICOPTERS • SPT 6: 4 Mi-17; 2 PZL Mi-2
Paramilitary 11,034
national Guard 551 (full time); 10,483 (parttime)
(total 11,034)
DEPLOyMENT
Legal provisions for foreign deployment:
Constitution: Codified constitution (1922)
Specific legislation: ‘Law on Participation of the National
Armed Forces of Latvia in International Operations’ (1995)
(Annex of 21 Jan 2009 allows Latvian armed forces to take
part in quick response units formed by NATO/EU)
Decision on deployment of troops abroad: a) By
parliament (Section 5 I of the 1995 ‘Law on Participation’,
in combination with Art. 73 of constitution); b) by cabinet,
if deployment is for rescue or humanitarian operations
(Section 5 II of the 1995 law) or for military exercises
(Section 9 of the 1995 law)
AfgHANIsTAN
NATO • ISAF 175
MOLDOVA
OSCE • Moldova 1
Lithuania LTU
lithuanian litas l 2008 2009 2010
GDP L 111bn 99bn
US$ 47.2bn 42.5bn
per capita US$ 13,249 11,951
Growth % 3.0 -18.5
inflation % 11.1 3.5
Def exp L 1.28bn
US$ 547m
Def bdgt L 1.28bn 1.16bn 741m
US$ 545m 501m
FMa (US) US$ 1.5m 1.7m 3.3m
US$1=l 2.35 2.33
Population 3,555,179
Ethnic groups: Lithuanian 84.6%; Polish 6.3%; Russian 5.1%;
Belarussian 1.1%
age 0–14 15–19 20–24 25–29 30–64 65 plus
Male 8% 4% 4% 4% 22% 5%
Female 8% 4% 4% 3% 24% 9%
capabilities
ACTIVE 8,850 (army 7,190 navy 470 air 950)
Paramilitary 14,600
Terms of service 12 months.
REsERVE 6,700 (army 6,700)
ORgANIsATIONs By sERVICE
Army 2,590; 4,600 active reserves (total 7,190)
fORCEs By ROLE
1 mil region
Reaction 1 bde (Iron Wolf) (2 mech inf bn, 2 mot inf bn, 1
Force arty bn)
Engr 1 bn
Security 1 MP bn
Trg 1 regt
EQUIPMENT By TyPE
RECCE 10 BRDM-2
APC (T) 187 M-113A1, Bv 206
ARTY 133
TOWED 105mm 72 M-101
MOR 120mm 61 M-43
AT • MSL 28