Military considers permanent bases in Latvia as part of Canada's NATO commitment

Canada’s military operations command has embarked on a study about how the country’s NATO deployment in Latvia can be realistically sustained into the future, and one of options could involve more permanent basing, says a senior commander.  

Lt.-Gen. Steve Boivin, the commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC), said they are just beginning the analysis and recommendations have not been made to the chief of the defence staff, let alone the federal government.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced last August an extension of the Canadian mission in Latvia to 2029. 

Canada already has a near-permanent rotational presence in Latvia, with the roughly 2,200 soldiers serving six- to nine-month tours depending on their unit.

"We are approaching it from a military point of view — what makes sense based on the commitment that we've made,” said Boivin, who noted that two of the factors driving the review include the shortage of troops throughout the military and the challenges of rushing reinforcements into place in an emergency.

"We want to make sure that we can sustain this operation. So, yes, we're looking at whether it would make sense to permanently base people going forward."

The last time Canada had a permanent military presence in Europe was following the Second World War and during the Cold War. The Armed Forces maintained two bases in West Germany until 1993.

At least one other NATO ally is already moving towards establishing a permanent military presence in the Baltic region. 

Germany announced earlier this year that it is establishing the 45th Panzer Brigade, a force of approximately 5,000 troops, as a permanent base in Lithuania. 

The unit is expected to be fully operational in 2027.

Boivin’s remarks, made in a recent year-end interview with CBC News, also come as a U.S.-based think-tank warned that the Baltic states are among the most likely targets of future Russian aggression.

Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna recently testified before a special commission of the U.S. Congress, warning that Russia could reinforce its military presence along the Baltic borders within "two to three years, or less." Based on Moscow's current military posture, he stated that Russia would "return to our Baltic borders with even more troops and military equipment than they had before the full-scale invasion" of Ukraine.

More permanent basing would send a stronger signal of deterrence, wrote Daniel Kochis, of the Hudson Institute, in a piece published on Dec. 15.

"NATO can signal resolve within the alliance by increasing its presence in the Baltics," Kochis said.