RIGA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Latvian armed forces are staging their largest military exercise yet to test and enhance their readiness to defend the Baltic country against any kind of threat, the Latvian Defense Ministry informed on Monday.
The maneuvers Namejs 2018 will be taking place from Aug. 20 to Sept. 2 in all Latvia. The Latvian military will be testing its defense capabilities both independently and as part of NATO's collective defense system.
"After four years of intensive preparations, this will be the largest military exercise since the restoration of Latvia's independence," said Latvia's Chief of Defense, Lieutenant General Leonids Kalnins.
He underlined that the maneuvers are intended as a test not only for the national armed forces but Latvia in general as the more than 10,000 people involved in the drills include not only the regular army but also home guards, reserve troops, volunteers, as well as law enforcement personnel and border guards.
Allied soldiers are also expected to take part in the Namejs exercise.
The maneuvers will be held at the Adazi training grounds outside Riga and other military training facilities across Latvia, with movements of military personnel and equipment planned in at least 36 regions of Latvia, the Defense Ministry said.
