POTD: eFP Battle Group-Latvia In Joint Force Exercise

Eric B
by Eric B

Each day a different image from the World of firearms. We call this POTD, short for Photo Of The Day, and is our daily article where we go to great length trying to find the most interesting pictures for you out there. Today we’re looking at Canadian Land Forces soldiers of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, 2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, as they’re setting up security in the early morning hours. The unit was on a joint force exercise with 3rd Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, to clear the area of enemy in the mountainous wooded border region near Lielvarde, Latvia.

Below: Royal Canadian Dragoons keeping watch in the early morning. Looks like a C6 GPMG / FN MAG.

Below: This is how they travel! U.S. Army Blackhawks with 3rd Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, arriving at the landing zone to insert Canadian Land forces soldiers of Royal Canadian Dragoons.

Dismounting the Blackhawk helicopter. Lots of sand!

Photos taken by Capt. Billy Lacroix from the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and OR-8 Juan Delgado Garnacho.

Eric B
Eric B

Ex-Arctic Ranger. Competitive practical shooter and hunter with a European focus. Always ready to increase my collection of modern semi-automatics, optics, thermals and suppressors. TCCC Certified. Occasionaly seen in a 6x6 Bug Out Vehicle, always with a big smile.

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  • Guest Guest on May 14, 2021

    Latvian National Armed Forces
    Active personnel 14,700 (6,500 professionals, 8,000 National Guard)
    Reserve personnel 3,000
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

  • Vet Vet on May 14, 2021

    It is hard to believe these are recent photos of a modern western military. The weapons and gear look circa 2000's including no picatinny rails, connecting lasers to front sight tower, PEQ-2 and old school M240 with no optics. If it wasn't for the Canadian flag, they look more like former Eastern European block soldiers who just received NATO leftovers. Is that a budget issue?

    • See 2 previous
    • Spandexboy Spandexboy on May 23, 2021

      @Vet So funny, but true. There are only extremely minor differences from what I used in the 1990s & 2000s when I was in the Canadian Army. It is even more ridiculous when you consider Canada's military have the worst upgraded C-7/C-8 family and did so after the Danish and Dutch militaries upgraded their versions to a much better standard earlier.

      Check out the Colt Canada website under upgrades. Colt Canada arguably makes the finest mass produced direct impingement AR pattern rifles and carbines in the world. It is a realy shame how the Government of Canada, regardless of stripe, treats the military. The military is treated completely as an after thought and then almost exclusively as a tool for vote buying.

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