On 13 January 2026, the Latvian government gave its conceptual support to proceed with the acquisition of the Swedish wheeled artillery system Archer for the national armed forces. The decision was made through the approval of an information report on the procurement of indirect fire systems, according to the Latvian Ministry of Defence.
In connection with the decision, Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds stated that the acquisition of Archer was an important step to strengthen the country's indirect fire capability while deepening bilateral defence cooperation with Sweden. According to Sprūds, the system would enable joint training and exchange of experiences between the countries and constitute a long-term investment in Latvia's security and defence capability.
The background to the decision was a declaration of intent signed by Latvia and Sweden in June 2025, where the parties expressed a joint ambition to later enter into an intergovernmental agreement to purchase 18 Archer systems for Latvia's national armed forces.
On 16 January 2026, a roadmap for deepened defence cooperation between Latvia and Sweden was also signed at a meeting in Riga between Defence Ministers Andris Sprūds and Pål Jonson. According to the Latvian Ministry of Defence, the roadmap includes long-term cooperation in areas such as training, joint exercises, and the development of indirect fire in the Baltic Sea region.
In connection with this, the countries decided to initiate practical cooperation on Archer even before deliveries to Latvia are carried out. From 2026, Swedish Archer systems will be temporarily placed in Latvia, and a joint Archer unit based on Swedish 6x6 systems will be established to enable joint training and exercise activities.
Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson confirmed the development in a post on X, where he stated that the visit to Latvia aimed to deepen bilateral defence ties. According to Jonson, this was reflected both in Latvia's planned purchase of 18 Archer artillery systems and in the country's recently completed order of the RBS 70 NG air defence system from Saab. Together, this strengthens security in the Baltic Sea region, according to Jonson.