Rapid deployment remains a core capability for modern forces, and recent images from Latvia highlight how that plays out in practice. During Operation “Thunder,” troops from the NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia conducted an airborne exercise focused on speed, coordination, and immediate task execution after insertion. It certainly looks like the Colt Canada C7A2 is on full auto.

The operation began at the Lielvārde Air Base, where soldiers boarded helicopters for transport across the country. The destination was the Lociķi Airfield, where a simulated airborne assault was carried out. Once on the ground, troops transitioned directly into mission tasks using training ammunition, emphasizing continuity from insertion to engagement.

What stands out is the scale of coordination: air mobility, timing, and ground action all tied together in a single sequence. Exercises like this are less about individual systems and more about how quickly units can move, land, and operate as a cohesive force.

All photos by Corporal R.R. Putnis, Latvian Army