Oak Resolve 2026: Czech Military Engineers Train with NATO Allies in Latvia

Oak Resolve 2026 tested the multinational brigade's readiness to defend NATO's eastern flank. Held at Latvia's Ādaži Training Area at the turn of April and May, the large Allied certification exercise required the brigade to move rapidly to combat readiness, redeploy its forces and commit units to the defence of the Baltic states within a short time.

The multinational formation in Latvia operates under Canadian command. Alongside Czech personnel, it includes soldiers from eleven other countries, among them Denmark, Italy, Poland and Spain.

The Ādaži area filled with modern military equipment during the exercise. Mechanised units formed the core of the combat force, equipped with Italian Dardo tracked infantry fighting vehicles, Canadian LAV II armoured vehicles, Spanish and Polish Leopard tanks and other equipment, ranging from MRAP vehicles to the Spanish artillery battalion's self-propelled howitzers. The Multinational Engineer Squadron, which included a Czech engineer platoon, also played an important role.

The opposing force included units equipped with Swedish CV90 tracked vehicles and Leopard tanks, alongside Latvian mechanised infantry, creating a realistic and highly demanding training environment.

The Czech engineer platoon operated under Canadian command for most of the exercise and performed a range of key tasks. From the opening phase, the engineers helped prepare the defence, constructing protective structures and fighting positions and laying minefields intended to slow and channel the adversary's advance.

“Our platoon was deployed as a supporting element for a mechanised battalion, building its defensive positions during the preparation of the defence. During combat activity, we were tasked with creating passages through adversary minefields and conducting route reconnaissance. Finally, when units moved into a counterattack, we also operated as dismounted infantry to reinforce some units' defences,” Lieutenant Jan Ch. said of the exercise.

During the defensive phase, the engineers checked designated supply routes and reconnoitred roads and tracks, helping maintain uninterrupted supplies to friendly units. As preparations for a counterattack began, they again played a key role by creating passages through existing obstacles so that friendly units could manoeuvre quickly and deploy into combat formation.

An unusual feature was the Czech engineer platoon's reassignment halfway through the exercise to the “opposing” force, which it then provided with full engineer support. This change also contributed to a realistic exercise and tested the ability to adapt quickly.

On Friday, 24 April, Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna visited Czech soldiers both in the field and at the Ādaži base. His visit began with the engineer platoon deployed in the training area and continued at the base, where he met Czech personnel serving in the multinational brigade headquarters and the national logistics support element.

Author: Lt Jindřich Dologa