Canada is about to send some 450 troops to Latvia to lead an international battle-group of about 1,500. The force is to act as a deterrent to any potential Russian military action there.
This will start in June.and will be made created with additional soldiers from Albania, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Spain.
Canadian Brig-Gen Simon Hetherington who will head the force knows he faces challenges in creating a cohesive group in Latvia, where Canadians will be stationed in an open-ended assignment which could last years and see Canadian families join the soldiers.
Besides basic language issues, there are technical issues as well with communications equipment for example as some forces use analog, and others digital. Beyond that, more complex concerns will be how much intelligence data can be shared and what “caveats” nations will impose on their troops.
In Afghanistan, some NATO members refused to allow their troops to go to southern areas where the Taliban were in force, a situation that caused tension within NATO.
There are caveats with the Latvian mission as well, and work is going on behind the scenes to resolve concerns before they become tensions.
There are cyber concerns as well with the expectation Russians will be using fake news to create tension among the allies and with the Latvian population.
Token force?
Military analysts say that the Latvian troops would be quickly overrun in a full-scale attack by Russia. It is hoped that the battle group would be able to hold out long enough for NATO’s reaction force to be ready. Many feel that wouldn’t happen in time.
BGen Hetherington says the force is a deterrent, but hopes that diplomacy will prevent a “worst-case” scenario.
About 4,000 troops in all will make up four multinational battle groups in Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia.
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CBC: M Brewster Mar 21/17
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-latvia-deployment-1.4033193
PostMedia: J Graney Feb 25/17
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2017/02/25/canadian-troops-to-find-permanent-home-in-latvia-to-deter-russian-aggression
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