From Riga With Love: Latvia’s Patria 6x6s Power Up Ukraine’s Defenses

By TnTkr — Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Latvia just confirmed the transfer of 42 brand-new, locally-built Patria 6x6 armored personnel carriers (APCs) to Ukraine.

The deal, approved July 1st by Latvia’s Cabinet of Ministers, is one of the biggest Baltic armor handovers since the Russian invasion.

Latvia knows that Ukraine isn’t just fighting for itself. Every armored vehicle that rolls across the border is another kilometer Russia isn’t rolling toward Riga, Vilnius, or Tallinn.

Latvia, staring across the Daugava River at a resurgent Russia, is investing in its future security by sending these APCs to Ukraine. In other words, Ukraine is the shield; the Baltics are the sword waiting behind it.

CAVS: The Multinational Answer to Russia’s Rolling Thunder

Let’s talk about why CAVS is a blueprint for a future where Europe doesn’t get caught flat-footed by the next war.

The Common Armored Vehicle System was born in the shadow of a Russian threat that just wouldn’t quit.

Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Germany saw the writing on the wall: if Russia is willing to roll the dice in Ukraine, who’s to say it stops at the Dnipro? Thus, CAVS was born: a multinational, government-to-government agreement to build an armored vehicle…