Danish troops play opponent in NATO Latvia drill

A Danish combat battalion of 800 soldiers is currently deployed to Latvia, participating as the ‘opposing force’ in a joint NATO exercise called ‘Silver Arrow’, taking place 250 kilometers from the Russian border. The battalion, made up of various companies and a tank squadron, will challenge allied forces composed of American, Canadian, and Latvian soldiers in order to improve interoperability, sharpen their own skills, and deter Russia. This exercise also demonstrates NATO’s readiness in the Baltics. The Danish troops, part of an enhanced NATO readiness initiative, are under Canadian-led multinational brigade command and will be deployed for four months. This deployment follows a previous Danish contribution to Latvia from 2022 to early 2023. Denmark’s government had decided last year to continue sending troops to Latvia in 2023, anticipating a dispatch-size ranging from 700 to 1200 soldiers for four to six months, ending up with 800 for four months.