From 24-30 May, the Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) Higher Command Studies Course (HCSC) undertook its annual Baltic Defence Studies trip, visiting Daugavpils, Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn. The itinerary offered not just access but intimately unmediated lens into each state's evolving defence posture, strategic culture, and the ways in which comprehensive defence is understood, institutionalised, and communicated.

The study visit began in Daugavpils, where the regional Border Guard office and Home Guard representatives underscored the centrality of community-rooted defence in Latvia’s eastern frontier, highlighting the security dynamics specific to Latgale and the role of local forces in bolstering resilience and deterrence.

In Vilnius, engagements at the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence focused on strategic communication and whole-of-society defence efforts. Participants met with the Chief of Defence, General Raimundas Vaikšnoras, and Vice Minister Tomas Godliauskas to discuss military build-up, societal resistance, and the political-strategic interface of Lithuania’s defence reforms.

In Riga, a comprehensive programme at the Ministry of Defence convened key figures including State Secretary Aivars Puriņš and senior departmental directors, offering a granular view of Latvia’s defence planning, procurement, and crisis resilience ahead of the NATO Summit in The Hague. Briefings at Ādaži Military Base further contextualised these efforts within NATO’s deterrence architecture, particularly the role of the Multinational Brigade and Host Nation Support.

The Tallinn leg provided a culminating perspective. Discussions with the Military Intelligence Centre, the Commander of the Defence League, Major General Ilmar Tamm, and representatives from the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Affairs, including Secretary General Jonathan Vseviov, unpacked Estonia’s integrated approach to deterrence – one that synchronises STRATCOM, territorial defence, and societal mobilisation. The Government Office’s presentations on interagency coordination and communication strategy made clear that comprehensive defence here is more than a slogan; it is an operational principle.

Throughout the trip, the HCSC was struck by the candour of interlocutors and the coherence of strategic vision across the Baltic states. Each visit offered more than briefings: they were hands-on engagements revealing how shared geography produces distinct national responses to deterrence, resilience, and alliance integration. The hospitality of our hosts was as generous as their insights – our sincere thanks to all who contributed to this invaluable programme.