When you’re a small country with less than two million inhabitants, it’s hard to think about building a large army. But when there is a threatening neighbor on the borders, it is necessary to equip oneself and push on new technologies. Latvia will invest tens of millions of euros to have an army of drones and also support Ukraine in defending against the Russian offensive. Small but smart.

The Latvian National Armed Forces will develop their drone technology capability by investing 20 million euros, Defence Minister Andris Spruds announced. In reality, the investment will be double. Because about twenty million will be invested to support Ukraine and a similar sum for the national program dedicated to drones.

On the latter front, the Latvian defense plans are to buy technologies for 10 million euros and then to develop new infrastructure. In particular, work is expected to start next month on the new Selija base, which will have a military range in which to test drones. In addition, the government in Riga will push for the training of drone pilots, at various levels.

But Latvia also wants to stimulate national companies and the world of research to develop the production of drones for war use. In this regard, a hackathon on innovation will also take place in the coming days, in which about 20 teams have asked to participate and where it is hoped that ideas on specific technologies can emerge.

The commander of the Latvian National Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Leonids Kalnins, also stressed that the creation of the drone army is a powerful force for achieving tactical goals. According to the military, these technologies replace very expensive equipment related to heavy artillery, missile systems, and aviation, which many countries cannot afford. In addition, they help in reconnaissance operations.