In September and October, Latvia will host the Joint Expeditionary Force exercise “TARASSIS” activities.

In September and October, activities of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) exercise “TARASSIS” will take place in Latvia, primarily in the Kurzeme region.

“TARASSIS” is an international exercise featuring activities on land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains. In addition to the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) member states, the Canadian Armed Forces will also take part. The activities within exercise “TARASSIS” will begin in early September and continue until the end of October, involving thousands of troops, as well as dozens of ships and aircraft operating across the North Atlantic, Scandinavia, and the Baltic Sea region.

Exercise “TARASSIS” brings together a series of military activities to demonstrate the Joint Expeditionary Force’s ability to act as one in response to regional security threats. From the Arctic Circle to the shores of the Baltic Sea, these large-scale exercises will showcase the unity, strength, and capability of partner nations to safeguard peace and security in Northern Europe. “TARASSIS” also underlines how the Joint Expeditionary Force complements NATO’s deterrence and security-enhancing measures both in peacetime and in times of crisis.
“TARASSIS” is the largest Joint Expeditionary Force exercise to date since its establishment.

The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) was established as a United Kingdom initiative, first announced at the NATO Summit in Wales, where the defense ministers of the participating nations signed a letter of intent to create the force. In September 2014, work began on developing its structure, defining tasks, and setting objectives for the member states. On 30 November 2015, seven countries – the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Norway – signed the founding agreement in the UK. Finland and Sweden joined the initiative in 2017, followed by Iceland in April 2021.

Latvia cooperates with the United Kingdom within NATO, the Joint Expeditionary Force, the Northern Group, and other formats aimed at strengthening defense and deterrence capabilities.

We thank the public for their support during the exercises. Together, we safeguard Latvia!

#JEFTogether #WeAreNATO #LatvijasArmija

Prepared by:
Communications Department,
Information Analysis and Management Directorate,
Joint Headquarters of the National Armed Forces
E-mail: prese@mil.lv
Phone: +371 27218405