Leadership | Nacionālie bruņotie spēki

Leadership

There is a principle of unity of command observed in the National Armed Forces.

The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the National Armed Forces.

The leadership of the National Armed Forces is exercised by the Commander of the National Armed Forces who is subordinated to the Minister of Defense. The Commander of the National Armed Forces is the most senior military official in the State. The Commander of the National Armed Forces is confirmed in office for a period of four years and removed from office by the Saeima on the basis of a proposal from the President.

The Commander of the National Armed Forces has a deputy who fulfils his duties in the Commander’s absence. The deputy of the Commander of the National Armed Forces is the Chief of the Joint Headquarters of the National Armed Forces. The Joint Headquarters of the National Armed Forces is an institution of the Commander of the National Armed Forces which ensures for the Commander the possibility of exercising continuous management, as well as a co-operation organization in the circumstances of combat operations.

The Commander of the National Armed Forces:

1) is responsible for the preparedness of the National Armed Forces, their mobilization and combat readiness, as well as their readiness to carry out specified tasks;
2) ensures continuous leadership of the National Armed Forces, and the planning of tasks and the control of the implementation;
3) is responsible for the development of the State Defense Operational Plan, and of the regulatory documents for the readiness of the National Armed Forces for the defense of the State and the implementation;
4) is responsible for submitting of a timely request to the Minister of Defense regarding the necessary personnel, materials and technical facilities and financial resources for the implementation of the tasks of the National Armed Forces, and the effective utilization of such resources;
5) determines the tasks of the units of the National Armed Forces.

The internal control of the activities of the National Armed Forces is performed by the Commander of the National Armed Forces.

During a state of war or a state of emergency, the Commander of the National Armed Forces or a person authorized by him participates in the meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers in an advisory capacity.

In the event of an unexpected military invasion, unless a state of emergency has previously been declared in a country or in any of its parts, the Commander of the National Armed Forces immediately initiates organized military defense activities in accordance with the National Defense Operational Plan and informs the Minister of Defense.

In order to ensure execution of the tasks related to membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Europe Union (EU) , the Commander of the National Armed Forces, upon co-ordination with the Minister of Defense and taking into account the management system of the National Armed Forces and the competence of other institutions and officials laid down in laws and regulations, may delegate the management of individual National Armed Force units or individual soldiers to the military management of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).