22 U.S. attack helicopters Apache and hundreds of vehicles to arrive in Latvia in near future to participate in joint military exercises

RIGA - In the near future, 22 U.S. attack helicopters Apache and hundreds of vehicles will arrive in Latvia for an international exercise, the Defense Ministry's Press Department informed LETA.

In the near future, a significant number of NATO soldiers and military equipment will arrive in Latvia to participate in scheduled joint military exercises together with the National Armed Forces.

The joint exercises will provide an opportunity to enhance interoperability of allied military units during tactical operations, the Defense Ministry said.

Until February 16, a unit of 100 soldiers of the Italian Armed Forces will arrive in Latvia.

International military exercise Saber Strike 22, led by the U.S. European Command, will commence on February 18 and continue until March 23. By February 18, about 400 U.S. troops and about 100 vehicles, as well as 22 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters will arrive in Latvia.

About 800 U.S. soldiers and up to 250 military vehicles will arrive in Latvia from Lithuania by February 28.

International military exercise Crystal Arrow 22, organized by the Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the Land Forces of the National Armed Forces, will take place from February 28 to March 11.

A total of approximately 2,800 soldiers and Home Guard members from Latvia and the United States, as well as ten other countries whose units make up the NATO enhanced forward presence battlegroup in Latvia - Canada, Albania, Czech Republic, Italy, Iceland, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain - will take part in the two exercises. More than 300 vehicles and aircraft will also participate in the exercises.

As part of the exercise, U.S. Air Force aircraft KC-135 will be deployed to each of the Baltic countries in March to conduct joint exercises with the U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft F-15 stationed in Estonia.

A number of joint military exercises are also scheduled for May: Trojan Footprint North, Swift Response, Defender Europe, and Astral Knight.