Latvia to Introduce Hands-On Drone Piloting in Mandatory State Defense Classes — UNITED24 Media

Latvia is incorporating practical drone operation training into its state defense classes beginning in the second semester of the current school year, building on existing theoretical instruction.

Expanding Drone Education

The Latvian Ministry of Defense stated that state defense lessons have included theoretical instruction on drone capabilities for the past two years. These lessons will now be expanded to include practical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) piloting exercises.

In addition, the Jaunsardze Center launched specialized summer camps focused on drone operation in 2025. The first round of camps saw participation from twenty-eight students, with similar camps planned for this summer.

State Defense Curriculum

Latvia’s State Defense Concept, approved by the Saeima on October 5, 2023, mandates state defense education as a compulsory component of secondary schooling starting in the 2024/2025 academic year. The program aims to equip students with fundamental skills for crisis and wartime scenarios and to cultivate civic responsibility.

State defense is a core subject within the broader framework of health, safety, and physical education. Classes are held once a month for a full day, lasting eight academic hours, with exceptions in September and January, over two consecutive school years. The Jaunsardze Center is responsible for implementing the course and training instructors.

An investigation by the Yale University Humanitarian Research Lab found that Ukrainian children taken to Russia have been forced to work in facilities producing drones and other military equipment for Moscow’s armed forces. The report identified 210 sites connected to Russia’s system of abducting, deporting, indoctrinating, and coercively adopting Ukrainian children, including at least one military base.

Researchers documented cases at the All-Russian Children’s Center “Change” in Krasnodar Krai where Ukrainian children were compelled to assemble drones, mine detectors, robotic systems, and rapid loaders for assault rifles. A Russian parliamentarian previously proposed broadening compulsory military education in schools, suggesting battlefield survival skills be taught to pupils as young as fifth grade.