The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed an agreement with the German company Dynamit Nobel Defence (DND) for the purchase of remote mining systems worth 50 million euros, the ministry announced.
Under the contract, Latvia will acquire Skorpion 2 remote mining systems, their ammunition — AT2+ anti-tank mines — as well as other related equipment. The agreement also includes personnel training for operating the systems and other associated logistical and technical resources.
The contract provides for the involvement of local industry to strengthen supply security and allows other countries to join the project later, enabling them to sign their own supply agreements with the manufacturer.
The agreement also gives Latvia the opportunity to conclude additional contracts with the German company. Such systems have never before been part of the Latvian Army’s arsenal.
Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds (Progressives), in an interview with Latvian Television’s Rīta panorāma, explained that
these systems will allow for the rapid deployment of mines along Latvia’s border,
thereby strengthening the Baltic Defence Line. This is part of a broader joint defence plan, which also includes the purchase of barriers and sensors to be installed near the border, Sprūds said.
The minister added that the 50 million euros contract with DND includes the delivery of mines, and that in the coming years additional mines are planned to be procured, with funding for that already earmarked.
Sprūds emphasised that this purchase from DND marks the first significant investment specifically in remote mining systems. Given that 50 million euros is a substantial sum, local industry involvement is planned, he said, without giving further details on how exactly it will be implemented in this procurement.
“The goal is to actively involve our own industry in this budget.
Thirty percent of major procurements should include participation from our domestic industry — localisation here — so that local companies can help ensure supply security and stimulate the national economy.
Society has given its mandate and support for such a budget, but it is also very important that this funding comes back into our economy as much as possible, promoting business, especially in the defence sector, and thereby also strengthening supply security,” Sprūds explained.
As previously reported, defence is one of the priorities in the government-approved draft state budget for next year, which is currently under discussion in the Saeima.
According to information from the Ministry of Finance, total defence spending next year will reach 2.2 billion euros. Latvia’s defence expenditure, according to NATO’s definition, is expected to reach 4.9% of GDP in 2026, 5% of GDP in 2027, and 4.9% of GDP in 2028.
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