Latvia is set to enhance its military air defense capabilities by awarding contracts to several local industry partners for the development of counter-unmanned aerial systems. This initiative, as explained by Defence Minister Andris Sprūds, is part of a strategic response to address current and future aerial threats, reinforcing the country’s defense position.
The selected contractors for this significant project include Origin Robotics, SAF Tehnika, and Frankenburg Technologies, all of which will play key roles in conceptualizing and manufacturing the necessary technologies. The government’s broader objective underscores a commitment to establishing a variety of national and European Union anti-drone systems that are both internationally competitive and as independent as possible from third-country supplies.
In the initial phases of the project, efforts will focus on research and development aimed at creating several critical solutions including an automated interceptor, an electronic warfare-based countermeasure, and guided missile systems. Following this foundational work, the initiative will enter a subsequent phase where the consortium, in collaboration with the Latvian engineering firm WeMPS, will adapt and modify existing weapon systems to form automated countermeasure platforms.
In a notable aspect of the project, the Ministry of Defence has indicated that techniques and technologies gleaned from the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict will inform the development of these systems, showcasing Latvia’s responsiveness to contemporary warfare dynamics.
The total investment for this ambitious venture is estimated at over 10 million euros (approx. $10.7 million), with the potential for the budget to expand should future investments materialize. The Ministry of Defence has also opened the door for other organizations, particularly from the domestic industrial base and institutions within NATO and the EU, to participate as collaborators in co-development or co-financing efforts.
Importantly, the outcomes of this project will remain under the Ministry’s purview, as it retains the right to unlimited use of the results for its own operational needs. However, the ministry has also assured that cooperation partners will have the opportunity to provide the developed technologies and any products resulting from this initiative to the armed forces of other nations, thereby potentially broadening the impact and reach of the developed systems in the international defense landscape.
