The National Guard is a part of National Armed Forces. NG is a basic land component, consisting of volunteers who perform traditional national guard duties such as crisis response and support for military operations. It consists of 3 regions of National Guard. The National Guard continues development also after Latvia has joined the NATO.

History

The National Guard was established in August 1991 as a voluntary public military self-defense organization. It’s roots can be traced to a pre-World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 National Guard organization. It is the largest NAF 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 Jaunsardze (Youth Guards), was established in 1992. It is the largest youth movement in Latvia, bringing together young people from the age of 12 to 18.

An aviation component was introduced in 1993, with a fleet of ex-Soviet DOSAAF

DOSAAF

DOSAAF was a paramilitary society in the Soviet Union, Voluntary Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Fleet . The society was preserved in a number of post-Soviet Republics, e.g., in Russia and Belarus...

 light aircraft and gliders

Military glider

Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...

. In 2000 the aviation component became part of the Air Force

Latvian Air Force

Latvian Air Force is the aviation branch of the National Armed Forces. The first Air Force units were established 1992. It has no air combat capability, thus the defense of Latvian air space is maintained by NATO, with rotating detachments of four aircraft to Lithuania at four-monthly intervals...

.

Mission

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 NAF combat support and combat logistics functions. At the same time, the National Guard will continue providing assistance to the public regarding crisis control, as well as to the State Police

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

 regarding provision of public law and order, and continue the safeguarding of sites of national security importance.

The main mission of the National Guard is to:

• Ensure the combat and mobilization readiness of its own units;
• Provide legal and military training for National Guard soldiers;
• Provide national juridical order.

Structure

National Guard (NG) Headquarters

National Guard Region (NGR) 1:

• NG Infantry Battalion 44
• NG Infantry Battalion 45
• NG Infantry Battalion 46
• NG Infantry Battalion 51
• NG Infantry Battalion 52

National Guard Region (NGR) 2:

• NG Infantry Battalion 25
• NG Infantry Battalion 31
• NG Infantry Battalion 32
• NG Infantry Battalion 55
• NG Infantry Battalion 56
• NG Artillery Battalion 34
• NG WMD Defense Battalion 31

National Guard Region (NGR) 3:

• NG Logistic Battalion 19
• NG Infantry Battalion 22
• NG Infantry Battalion 27
• NG Student Battalion
• NG Engineer Battalion 54
• NG Air Defense Battalion 17

Equipment

Armament: 100 mm K 53 cannons, 90 mm M 1110

Pvpj 1110

The Pvpj 1110 is a Swedish 90 mm rifled recoilless gun. It is also widely known as Pv-1110. It entered service at the early 1960s and was phased out of service in the Swedish Army in the late 1990s after 1600 had been produced...

 antitank guns; 120 mm, 82 mm, 71 mm mortars; 40 mm L70

Bofors 40 mm gun

The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...

 antiaircraft guns;Carl Gustav 84 mm launcher; heavy machine gun M2HB Browning ".50 cal";Hecate II

PGM Hecate II

The Hecate II is the standard heavy sniper rifle of the French Army, sometimes known as the FR-12,7 .It is manufactured by PGM Précision of France...

 large-caliber sniper rifles; FN MAG

FN MAG

The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...

 machine guns (KSP 58 b); AK-4

Heckler & Koch G3

The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....

 and Heckler & Koch G36

Heckler & Koch G36

The Heckler & Koch G36 is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1990s by Heckler & Koch in Germany as a replacement for the 7.62mm G3 battle rifle. It was accepted into service with the Bundeswehr in 1997, replacing the G3...

 KV assault rifles; Carl Gustav M45 submachine gun (Kulsprutepistol m/45).

Transport:Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

The original 460-series Geländewagen went on sale for civilian buyers in 1979, after having debuted in February of that year. It was offered with two wheelbases, a short wheelbase of 2,400 mm and a long one of 2,850 mm. One could choose between three body styles: A two-door short...

 jeep(MB240GD); HMMWV; Volvo C303

Volvo C303

Volvo Cross Country C303 is the base model of a range of military vehicles produced by Volvo.The car was developed in the late 60s based on the successful L-3314 series and went into production in 1974. This version was produced both as a 4x4 and a 6x6. An 8x8 was planned but dropped. Engines were...

 4x4, C304 6x6, and C306 6x6; Unimog

Unimog

Unimog is a range of multi-purpose auto four wheel drive medium trucks produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The name Unimog is pronounced in German and is an acronym for the German "UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät", Gerät being the German word for machine or device...

 406; Mercedes-Benz 1017; VOLVO 934; VOLVO VIKING 939 (4x4); Bandvagn 206

Bandvagn 206

Bandvagn 206 is a tracked articulated, all-terrain carrier developed by Hägglunds for the Swedish Army. It consists of two units, with all four tracks powered...

(Bv 206).

Cooperation

The National Guard has established close co-operation with similar organizations abroad – the US Michigan Army National Guard

Michigan National Guard

The Michigan National Guard consists of the Michigan Army National Guard and the Michigan Air National Guard.-Units:Michigan Army National Guard units include:* Joint Forces Headquarters, Lansing, MI* 177th Military Police Brigade, Taylor, MI...

, the Australian Army

Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

 Reserve, the UK Territorial Army, and the Home Guard

Militia

The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...

 Organizations of Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, Lithuania

Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

 and Estonia

Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

.