Namejs 2026 is Latvia's comprehensive national defence exercise, running nationwide from 2 September to 8 October 2026 with about 12,000 National Armed Forces personnel and Zemessardze (National Guard) members, plus allied contingents from Canada, the United States, Estonia, Lithuania and others. Latvia's National Armed Forces run it with the HQ of NATO's Multinational Division North and the NATO Force Integration Unit Latvia, in cooperation with the Joint Expeditionary Force. The digests call it Latvia's largest defence event of the year.
Key facts
- Dates: 2 September – 8 October 2026, announced 24 August. No change reported.
- Scale: ~12,000 National Armed Forces personnel and Zemessardze members — the same figure in every digest; the split between regulars, Zemessardze and allies is not stated.
- Participants: Latvia as host, with Canada, the United States, Estonia, Lithuania "and others" — never enumerated.
- Location: nationwide; UAV and counter-UAS work declared for the eastern border area, most intensive in Latgale on 4–6 September.
- Run by: Latvia's National Armed Forces (NBS), with NATO's Multinational Division North HQ, the NATO Force Integration Unit Latvia (NFIU) and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
- Latvian name: visaptverošas valsts aizsardzības mācības "Namejs 2026"; Xinhua renders it "Namejs'26".
What was practised
Mobilisation drills test the alerting and call-up of reservists and Zemessardze members, their supply with equipment and weapons and their integration into the combat structure; a parallel strand rehearses the mobilisation of material-technical resources. A separate declared component covers unmanned aircraft together with the detection, identification and neutralisation of hostile UAS in the eastern border area, and field training in forested terrain and army–civil coordination run alongside.
Announced effects: live fire at ranges, vehicle and troop movement on roads, low-altitude military flights, temporary traffic restrictions; residents were asked to report suspicious activity near the border to the State Border Guard. Beyond these components the digests record no scenario and no stated objectives, and quote no Latvian official by name.
How it unfolded
- 24.08 — the National Armed Forces announce the exercise: 2 September – 8 October, ~12,000 troops and Zemessardze members.
- 29–30.08 — run-up: Zemessardze 1st Riga Brigade battalions drill in Vecumnieki parish (Bauska municipality), Ropaži parish, Garkalne and Mārupe municipality.
- 02.09 — the exercise begins nationwide.
- 04–06.09 — the most intensive activity shifts to Latgale, on the Russian and Belarusian border: intensive UAV and counter-UAS work, troop and equipment movement, low-altitude flights, traffic restrictions.
- 05–14.09 — Oak Projection runs in parallel at Sēlija: a Canadian-led NATO Multinational Brigade exercise with CH-146 Griffon flights Ādaži–Sēlija. Separate from Namejs.
- 07.09 — the Latgale phase winds down; movement to training areas continues through 7 September.
Coverage here runs only to 7 September 2026, a month before the announced end date; the later stages are not yet recorded.
Why it matters for the Baltics
Namejs raises Latvia's military density for September and October, and the Latgale phase puts that density directly on the border with Russia and Belarus. The digests score it as a moderate defensive up-factor, partly self-stabilising because it was pre-announced and defensive in purpose. It falls in a crowded window alongside Lithuania's Strong Griffin 2026 near the Belarus border (2–20 September, ~2,500 troops). No Russian or Belarusian reaction to Namejs by name is recorded; the nearest item is Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko's remark of 2 September that NATO has turned the Baltic into "a zone of military confrontation", while saying Russia has no plans to attack the Baltic states.
Frequently asked questions
When is Namejs 2026?
From 2 September to 8 October 2026, on dates announced on 24 August 2026 and unchanged since.
Where is Namejs 2026 held?
Across the whole of Latvia, with the UAV and counter-UAS component in the eastern border area and the most intensive phase in Latgale on 4–6 September.
How many troops take part in Namejs 2026?
About 12,000 National Armed Forces personnel and Zemessardze members, plus allied contingents. Whether allies are counted inside that figure is not stated.
Is Namejs 2026 connected to a Russian-Belarusian exercise?
No such link is reported, and no major Russian-Belarusian exercise is announced for autumn 2026 — see the Zapad 2026 page.
Sources
- eng.lsm.lv / LSM (Latvian public media) — primary source
- mil.lv (official)
- riga.lv (official)
- zs.mil.lv (Zemessardze, official)
- BauskasDzive.lv
- chayka.lv
- Xinhua
This page is maintained alongside the daily digests; the list of related issues above updates automatically.