Latvia will strengthen its defence with remotely controlled ground drones

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On 12 April, Latvia’s Ministry of Defence signed contracts with local companies Brasa Defence Systems, Natrix and LV-Teh to supply and trial domestically produced unmanned ground systems.

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The platforms will be integrated gradually, with developers adapting them based on operational experience and lessons from Ukraine.

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The contracts also cover maintenance, upgrades and potential rapid follow-on procurement as part of Latvia’s broader push to expand autonomous systems across land, air, sea and underwater domains.

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NATO strengthens Baltic air defence as French Rafale jets arrive at Lielvārde Air Base

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On 14 April, French Dassault Rafale fighter jets arrived at Lielvārde Air Base as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, operating from Šiauliai alongside Romanian F-16s. France took over the mission on 1 April.

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French forces are expected to remain in the Baltics until mid-summer.

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Swedish and Latvian defence chiefs visit BAE Systems Bofors to advance artillery cooperation

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On a visit in April, Sweden’s Chief of Defence Commander Michael Claesson and Latvia’s Chief of Defence Kaspars Pudāns visited BAE Systems Bofors to discuss defence cooperation.

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Sweden and Latvia have established closer defence ties, including a planned procurement of the ARCHER artillery system.

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BAE Systems Bofors described Latvia as a strategically important partner and expressed readiness to further strengthen defence capabilities in the Baltic region.

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Lithuania to test Merops AS-3 Surveyor counter-drone air defence system

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On April, it was reported that the Government of Lithuania approved a proposal by the Ministry of National Defence to purchase a test batch of the Merops AS-3 Surveyor system developed by Perennial Autonomy.

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The Merops AS-3 Surveyor is designed to detect, track and neutralize drones and balloons using radar, sensors and interceptor aircraft, and has been battle-tested in Ukraine.

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The test acquisition will allow Lithuania to evaluate the system’s effectiveness and integration into its air defence architecture and NATO systems.

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Lithuania to build military training ground near Suwalki Corridor

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On April, Lithuania’s parliament approved the creation of a military training area near the strategically important Suwałki Gap, following an earlier government decision.

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The project aims to strengthen regional defence and NATO capabilities in one of the alliance’s most vulnerable areas.

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The assembly of forward fuselages for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighters has officially begun at Patria’s new Halli facility in Jämsä

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On April, Patria announced the start of assembly of forward fuselages for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets at its new Halli facility in Jämsä, Finland.

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The launch marked a significant milestone for Finland’s defence industry and international aerospace cooperation, while also highlighting Patria’s expertise and strengthening Finland’s industrial participation in the F-35 programme.

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Frankenburg leads EU-backed development of a new class of drone-based air-to-ground missile precision strike systems

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On April, it was announced that Frankenburg Technologies was selected by the European Defence Fund (EDF) to lead the 24-month EURODAMM programme focused on developing a new generation of drone-based precision strike systems.

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The initiative aims to create an EU-built, cost-effective air-to-ground capability combining reusable swarm-capable drones, low-cost missiles, and coordinated targeting systems for strikes against ground targets at ranges of up to 50 kilometres beyond the forward edge of the battle area.

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The programme brings together defence and technology partners from across Europe and is co-financed by the EDF alongside the Ministries of Defence of Estonia, Denmark, and Latvia.

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Driver training activities conducted at GDELS Santa Bárbara Sistemas in Sevilla

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On April, driver training activities for the programme took place ahead of schedule at the GDELS Santa Bárbara Sistemas testing facilities in Sevilla, with the participation of a delegation from the Latvian Ministry of Defence.

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This early milestone highlighted the programme’s approach of advancing production and training in parallel, accelerating operational readiness and user familiarisation.