RIGA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- More than 3,500 troops are joining the annual multinational military exercise Silver Arrow 2017 which is due to kick off at the Adazi military training area near Riga on Monday, Latvia's military website sargs.lv reported Friday.
During the drill, which will last until Oct. 29, Latvian soldiers will be training alongside servicemen from several European countries along with Canada, Britain and the United States.
Around 200 Latvian home guards and 30 reserve officers will also take part in the exercise.
From Oct. 18 to 23, the exercise will take place also outside the Adazi training grounds, with battalion-size units performing maneuvers with armored vehicles in the northeastern Latvian districts of Ape, Gulbene and Aluksne.
The objective of the drill is to enhance the Latvian forces' interoperability with allied troops, and practice planning and implementation of defense operations with integrated combat elements.
Originally, the Silver Arrow was started as a national military exercise, but since 2014 the annual drills have become a multinational event involving participants from many countries.