On Thursday, the 5th of February, Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds participated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding on establishing a specialised anti-tank mine and key component production facility in Latvia.
The memorandum was signed by State Defence Corporation Ltd, represented by board member Ingrīda Ķirse, and the German defence industry company Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH, represented by Chief Executive Officer Michael Humbek, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported.
It is planned that the facility could begin operations in 2028.
The plant will provide a full production and supply cycle for the needs of the National Armed Forces, significantly increasing the resilience of the country’s supply chains and contributing to meeting delivery security requirements under last year’s defence sector contract for the acquisition of the “Skorpion 2” remote mining system, the MoD said.
The ministry explained that the partnership with Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH guarantees the introduction of modern technologies into Latvia’s industry, which is a prerequisite for implementing such a large-scale project. By involving local businesses, the project is expected to promote the growth of Latvia’s defence industry while also creating potential for future exports.
“The foundation of Latvia’s national defence is not only the support of our allies,
but also our own ability to provide the National Armed Forces with critically important equipment. Establishing an anti-tank mine production facility in Latvia is a strategic step towards military self-sufficiency. This partnership with German industry demonstrates that Latvia is a reliable partner capable of integrating the most advanced technologies into local production, while strengthening both national security and economic growth,” Sprūds emphasised.
“The aim of the memorandum of understanding is to jointly establish an anti-tank mine production facility in Latvia, primarily to meet the needs of our National Armed Forces (NAF). Following the signing of the document, we will begin detailed preparatory work together with our partner to develop a cooperation model and agree on project implementation conditions, ensuring the earliest possible start of production,” Ķirse stated.
Ķirse added that with this memorandum and project, the State Defence Corporation continues to purposefully expand and diversify its scope of activities. Alongside the already developing ROLLO modular propellant charge production facility for artillery ammunition and the artillery projectile project launched in cooperation with Rheinmetall, the corporation’s portfolio will be expanded to include anti-tank mine production.
“The memorandum of understanding with our Latvian partners confirms our joint political commitment
to sustainably develop and strengthen industrial capabilities in Europe. We are contributing our long-standing technological expertise to this cooperation, thereby making a tangible contribution to strengthening Latvia’s and Europe’s defence capabilities as well as the resilience of security-critical supply chains. The partnership with Latvia demonstrates trust, reliability, and long-term, strategically oriented cooperation in security and industrial policy,” Humbek emphasised.
The signed memorandum continues cooperation between Latvia’s defence sector and industry with Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH. As previously reported, it builds on cooperation initiated last year, including the contract concluded in October 2025 for the delivery of the “Skorpion 2” remote mining system to the National Armed Forces.
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