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Latvia has tested a suite of counter-drone systems mounted on its new Hunter infantry fighting vehicle, a move that positions the small NATO nation at the forefront of adapting armored vehicles to the drone-rich battlefields of modern warfare. The demonstration, held in October 2025 at the Ādaži military base, marks a critical step before the first Hunters are delivered to the Latvian National Armed Forces in 2026.
The test involved both active and passive counter-drone measures supplied by Spanish defense firm GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas. Active systems are designed to shoot down or jam small drones before they can strike, while passive systems detect and alert crews to incoming threats. Latvian soldiers also operated ground-based drones of their own alongside the vehicle, showcasing a coordinated approach to unmanned systems.
The Hunter, known locally as “Mednieks” (meaning “hunter” in Latvian), is built on the ASCOD tracked platform—a modular armored vehicle design already in service with several NATO countries. Latvia has tailored the vehicle for its mechanized infantry brigade, emphasizing firepower, modular armor, and interoperability with allied equipment. The name “Hunter” was chosen by the soldiers who will crew the vehicle.
This test is part of a broader effort by Latvia to harden its new armored fleet against the most persistent threat emerging from the war in Ukraine: cheap, first-person-view drones that can destroy million-dollar vehicles with a single strike. According to defense analysts, the Baltic states have been among the most aggressive in adapting lessons from the conflict, given their direct border with Russia.
Latvia’s procurement of the Hunter began with a contract for 42 vehicles signed in January 2025, followed by a doubling of the order to 84 vehicles in June 2025. The first units are expected to reach the National Armed Forces in October 2026, making the October 2025 demonstration a timely opportunity to finalize the counter-drone configuration before production ramps up.
“The timing is deliberate,” said a Latvian Ministry of Defence spokesperson. “We want to install the most effective defenses at the factory, not retrofit them later. That saves money and ensures our soldiers are protected from day one.”
The demonstration also drew attention from neighboring NATO allies, who are watching Latvia’s approach closely. The U.S. Army has conducted similar tests on its own Stryker and Bradley vehicles, but Latvia’s choice to integrate counter-drone hardware directly onto the ASCOD platform offers a potential template for other nations upgrading their fleets.
Beyond the technical details, the test highlighted the growing importance of electronic warfare and active protection systems in the Baltic region. Russia’s continued use of drones in Ukraine, including loitering munitions and reconnaissance UAVs, has forced NATO to rethink vehicle survivability. Latvia’s integration of both hard-kill and soft-kill systems on the Hunter is seen as a pragmatic response to a threat that evolves faster than traditional armor upgrades.
The Latvian Mechanized Infantry Brigade, which will operate the Hunters, already has experience with legacy Soviet-era vehicles and newer Western platforms. The transition to the Hunter is expected to improve battlefield connectivity and lethality. The counter-drone systems tested last week could be applied to other vehicles in Latvia’s inventory if they prove effective in further trials.
Exclusive insight from a defense industry source familiar with the test indicated that the passive detection systems used in the demonstration include a combination of radar and acoustic sensors that can identify drone signatures at distances beyond 2 kilometers. The active systems, still under evaluation, range from electronic jammers to kinetic interceptors, with a final decision expected by early 2026.
Latvia’s urgency reflects the broader security situation on NATO’s eastern flank. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Baltic states have accelerated military modernization, with Latvia committing to raise defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2027. The Hunter program is a cornerstone of that effort, alongside new air defense systems and anti-tank weapons.
In the coming months, additional live-fire tests will be conducted at the Ādaži training area, which hosts NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup led by Canada. Those tests will help determine which counter-drone configurations are adopted for the full fleet of 84 vehicles.
For now, the October 2025 demonstration has confirmed that Latvia is not merely buying a new infantry fighting vehicle—it is actively shaping the vehicle’s design to meet the threats of tomorrow. The Hunter, when it rolls off the production line, will carry not just armor and a gun, but a layered defense against the small, cheap drones that have already changed the face of ground combat.
