Latvia

Latvia was known as the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Latvijas Padomju Sociālistiskā Republika) between 1940 and 1991. While part of the Soviet Union, the nation's Armed Forces were under the administration of the USSR. Since achieving its independence in 1991 and subsequent membership in NATO, the armed forces of Latvia have taken great measures to distinguish themselves from their Soviet predecessors. Early Latvian camouflage patterns, although influenced by those of the Soviet Union, are nevertheless distinctive enough to warrant separate status of their own.

• The earliest Latvian camouflage patterns trace their lineage to the Soviet tricolor TTsKO design, although the shapes incorporated into the patterns are entirely distinctive. The early camouflage design shown here, a pattern of dark and light brown shapes on a khaki or light olive green background, was originally worn by the Latvian Army, and later by the Border Guards. This pattern dates to the early 1990s.

• Another early pattern of approximately the same vintage - using different drawings and a lighter, almost desert, colorway - incorporates dark brown and ochre amoebic shapes on a tan background. This design is associated with the Latvian Ministry of the Interior, but may also have been worn by the Army.

• The design seen here, apparently worn in the 1990s by the Ministry of the Interior, bears a striking color resemblance to the Lithuanian pattern, yet the two are distinctive.

• In the mid-1990s, the Lithuanian Armed Forces completely discarded all previously used camouflage patterns in favor of a locally-produced copy of the US m81 woodland design. This pattern remained in service intil approximately 2008.

• Circa 2004, a desert camouflage pattern was introduced. Although incorporating the same basic colorway as the US tricolor desert pattern, the drawings are unique and bear no relationship to the American design. This pattern was worn by Latvian personnel deployed to Afghanistan (ISAF), but has since been replaced by a pixel-type pattern.

• Introduced in 2006, this pixelated pattern was designed by Barracuda of Sweden. It is known simply as the NBS pattern, for Nacionālie Bruņotie Spēki, or National Armed Forces. The design incorporates large black & brown squares on a tan background

Photos of Latvian Soldiers

• Latvian soldiers wearing the early pattern