For the first time, the parade was commanded by a woman, the commander of the Headquarters battalion, colonel Antonina Blodone. The parade was accepted by the supreme leader of the National Armed Forces, the President Edgars Rinkēvičs, the Minister of Defense Andris Sprūds and the Commander of the National Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Leonids Kalniņš.
The Latvian flag platoon marched at the head of the military parade line, which this year was entrusted to carry the National Armed Forces Headquarters Battalion. Soldiers of the allied forces from Albania, Canada, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the USA also took part in the parade with the flag group, with whom Latvian soldiers perform tasks side by side on a daily basis, both in international operations, both acquire skills and abilities in military training in Latvia and abroad. This year, the Ukrainian flag group also took part in the parade for the third time.
The NATO force integration unit in Latvia also took part in the parade, as well as the joint military educational institutions of the three Baltic states – the flag group of the Baltic Defense College, the flag groups of Lithuania and Estonia.
The parade featured for the first time the Joint Response Force (JEF), a British-led initiative created at the NATO summit in Wales in 2014 to strengthen regional security and deterrence capabilities. The Canada-led NATO multinational brigade in Latvia also participated in the parade, which demonstrates NATO’s determination to defend its member states and strengthen the defense of the alliance.
The national armed forces were represented in the parade by the Latvian National Defense Academy, the Headquarters Battalion, the Navy, the Air Force, the Security Command, the 1st Riga Brigade of the National Guard, the 2nd Vidzeme Brigade, the 3rd Latgale Brigade, the 4th Kurzeme Brigade and the Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the Ground Forces, the flag groups from the Training Command, the School of Instructors, the School of Infantry, the Combat Support Support Training Center, the Communications School, and the Naval Training Center. The soldiers of the State Defense Service (SDS), who marched in the parade line for the first time this year, representing the new generation and symbolizing Latvia’s determination to strengthen its defense in the long term, were also of special importance.
Allied armed forces will be represented in the parade by the Canadian-led NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia, which is part of the NATO Multinational Division “North”. On November 14, 2024, the NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia will conclude its first full-scale training as part of the brigade.
Units from the State Border Guard, the State Police, the State Fire and Rescue Service, as well as from the Colonel Oskars Kalpak Vocational High School and the Youth Guard also participated in the parade.
The musical performance of the parade was provided by the National Armed Forces Headquarters Orchestra, the Navy Orchestra, while a special event this year is the joint performance of the National Guard Orchestra and the US Air Force Europe Orchestra, in which musicians from both countries will march in the same formation. Such international cooperation took place in the parade for the first time, confirming the close friendship between Latvia and the USA. US musicians have learned Latvian parade repertoire and steps, showing respect for Latvian traditions and culture.
The infantry units of the parade, accompanied by the military orchestra, continued the march along Kalķu iela, Brīvības iela, Bruņiniek iela to Skanstes iela.
The parade ended with a demonstration of the armament, equipment and transport of the Latvian and allied armed forces, as well as the State Police, the State Border Guard and the State Fire and Rescue Service, in which, in favorable weather conditions, the parade was supplemented by a flyover of the air force and allies.
Two Latvian “Black Hawk UH-60M” helicopters took off with the national flag for the first time and were joined by three US “UH60 Black Hawk” and two “CH47 Chinook” helicopters, as well as two Canadian “CH146 Griffon” helicopters.
The State Border Guard participated with two Agusta helicopters – one AW109 and one AW119. Three An-2 aircraft performed a smoke demonstration in the colors of the Latvian flag, while the national airline “airBaltic” performed a flyover with an “Airbus A220-300” aircraft in the colors of the Latvian flag. During the parade, four “Eurofighter” jet planes, which participate in patrolling the airspace of the Baltic States within the framework of the NATO mission, also flew over.
A wide range of military equipment of the Latvian Armed Forces was on display at the parade, demonstrating the country’s defense capabilities and modernization. Among the units on display were the Patria 6×6 armored vehicles and the CVR(T) combat reconnaissance tracked armored vehicles, which provide mobility and protection in terrain.
Self-propelled howitzer systems “M109”, which provide significant fire support in combat operations, as well as “Husky” road demining vehicles resistant to mine explosions and tactical vehicles “Bombardier MAX 650” also took part in the parade. The range of equipment was supplemented by quadricycles and other tactical vehicles.
Also, unmanned aerial vehicles were used, which are able to observe in the light and dark hours of the day, as well as to correct artillery fire, and long-range anti-tank weapon systems, which increase the defensive capabilities.
In addition to Latvian equipment, armored vehicles of allied countries were also visible in the parade. The visitors could observe the tank “Ariete” of the Italian armed forces and the armored personnel carrier “Centauro”, the tank “Leopard” of the Spanish armed forces and the infantry fighting vehicle “Pizarro”, the tank of the Polish armed forces PT91, as well as the howitzer “Zuzana” of the armed forces of Slovakia. The military equipment of the armed forces of Albania, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia and Montenegro also participated in the parade, reflecting the ability and determination of the NATO allied forces to cooperate in ensuring the security of the region.
The State Police participated in the military parade with “BMW R1250” motorcycles, which are used on a daily basis for monitoring road traffic and escorting high-ranking state and foreign officials, as well as regulating traffic flows in special events. Also, law enforcement officers participated in the parade with “Škoda Superb” operational vehicles equipped with 360-degree cameras, automatic number plate recognition system and speed control devices to ensure effective traffic control and operational tasks.
On the other hand, the State Border Guard demonstrated all-terrain vehicles “Toyota Hilux” with and without snowmobiles in the parade. “Toyota Hilux” cars are used for border surveillance, control of the border lane regime and for ensuring the mobility of border guards, regardless of weather conditions and time of year, as well as in different areas, operational vehicles “Renault Trafic”, which are used for immigration control, for providing mobile patrols and checkpoints, as well as quadricycles “Polaris Ranger XP 1000” and “Polaris MV850”, which significantly improve the mobility of the State Border Guard and are used for border patrols.
The State Fire and Rescue Service participated in the parade with rescue service equipment, including two Toyota Hilux operational vehicles with increased permeability for fire extinguishing and rescue reconnaissance, a quadricycle on a trailer for work in hard-to-reach areas, a light boat on a trailer for rescue work in inland waters and the latest Scania tank truck with firefighting and rescue equipment.
The 21-nation volley in honor of the anniversary of the proclamation of the country’s independence was performed by the 17th Combat Support Battalion of the National Guard from the AB Dam. On the other hand, the Military Police and the Special Tasks Unit took care of order and security at the place and time of the parade, while the Security Command took care of the medical provision.
Source: www.diena.lv
