Canada has started building a military base in Latvia worth $70 million.

Canada has begun construction of military facilities in Latvia worth $70 million, including a helicopter complex and barracks. This was announced on May 21 by the Defense Blog portal.

"Canada has laid the foundation stone for new military installations in Lielvard and Riga. <...> Investments include a helicopter base in Lielvard worth $36 million and barracks designed to accommodate up to 304 military personnel, worth $33 million," the material says.

The helicopter complex will be located at the Latvian Armed Forces airbase in Lielvard, 60 km from Riga. The complex will include hangars, maintenance infrastructure, and office space to support Canada's tactical aviation detachment in Latvia.

It will be possible to deploy the main NATO aircraft at the future military facility: CH-146 Griffon and CH-147 Chinook multipurpose helicopters. In addition, the complex will also play a logistical role for military transport aviation: a special area for unloading and loading C-177 Globemaster aircraft will appear near the site.

The publication notes that future facilities will allow rethinking, simplifying and speeding up the previously existing rotation of troops within the North Atlantic Alliance.

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Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braje announced on May 11 that the republic had expressed its readiness to deploy an additional US contingent on its territory after Washington's decision to reduce its military presence in Germany by more than 5,000 people. Latvia, a member of NATO and the European Union, is considered one of Washington's most consistent allies in Europe. The republic's authorities have increased military spending to 5% of GDP.