The programme aims to strengthen Latvia’s scientific and technological capacity in the field of defence by promoting the development of new technologies, product prototypes and practically applicable solutions for the needs of the National Armed Forces (NAF). The programme is expected to support at least 12 research projects.
The programme will support applied research and technology development in areas significant for the enhancement of NAF capabilities, including artificial intelligence and cyber defence technologies, autonomous systems, navigation and counter-drone solutions, quantum technologies, space-based communication and surveillance solutions, military medicine, strengthening the physical and psychological resilience of personnel, as well as military mobility:
- Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Defence: automation of cyber defence, human-in-the-loop (HITL) security systems, digital twins for operational environments, data fusion, and predictive analytics;
- Autonomous Systems, Navigation and Counter-Unmanned Capabilities: AI-based navigation in GNSS-denied environments, embedded AI in autonomous platforms and multi-domain unmanned systems, drone detection, classification and neutralisation (C-UAS), drone swarms, and collaborative systems;
- Quantum Technologies: quantum encryption and quantum computing, quantum internet solutions, post-quantum cryptography (PQC) solutions for critical defence systems, quantum optimisation algorithms, and synchronisation, control and electronics solutions for quantum communication nodes;
- Space-Based Communication and Surveillance Solutions: ensuring operational capabilities, including command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as technical resilience through information integrity, secure communication channels, and the functioning of satellite navigation systems in conditions of signal jamming, spoofing or disruption;
- Military Medicine and Soldier Performance and Survivability Enhancement: medical countermeasures against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats, battlefield medicine and trauma care, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, biomaterials and tissue regeneration, phage therapy, and infection control;
- Personnel Performance, Cognitive Resilience and Psychological Defence: solutions to strengthen the physical and psychological resilience of soldiers, including cognitive workload monitoring and performance optimisation in operational environments;
- Military Mobility: operational terrain and soil analysis for military mobility and counter-mobility, modelling and simulation of operational environments, terrain passability modelling, and the protection and resilience of critical infrastructure.
Investment in these research areas will promote the creation of knowledge, technologies and solutions of strategic importance to the defence sector, contributing to the development of the defence industry and the operational capabilities of the National Armed Forces. This will provide the necessary conditions for the modernisation of combat capabilities and the maintenance of technological superiority in a rapidly evolving security environment.
At the same time, the programme will lay the groundwork for technology transfer, further technological development, and the participation of Latvian research organisations in international research and innovation programmes.
The programme will also help Latvian research organisations prepare for participation in international defence research and innovation projects, including programmes of the European Defence Fund (EDF) and the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as various cooperation formats within the NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO), thereby facilitating the attraction of additional funding and strengthening Latvia’s involvement in the development of European and NATO defence technologies.
The programme will be implemented by the Ministry of Defence in cooperation with the Latvian Council of Science. A project call is planned to be launched in October 2026, with project implementation expected to begin no later than December 2026. As previously reported, the Defence Industry and Innovation Support Strategy 2025-2036 envisages a gradual increase in funding for defence research, technology development and innovation, reaching 1.5% of the defence budget by 2028 and 3% by 2036.
