Airport, Latvia, Transport

According to Defense Ministry spokeswoman Sandra Brale, the transport plane landed at the airport according to plan. The pilots of the have been very cooperative in showing off the plane to the local media, writes LETA.

Several hundred persons also arrived to see the plane land this morning.

The plane arrived in Latvia to deliver allied ''Stryker'' armed vehicles, which will be used during next week's military exercises in Latvia.

The C5 ''Galaxy'' is almost the size of a football field – 75.54 meters long. It is also as high as a six-story building – 19.85 meters. This is the only plane that is capable of transporting all types of military equipment, including helicopters and tanks. The maximum weight the plane can carry is 380 tons.

This is the first time that such a plane has landed on Latvian territory.

As reported, from June 11 to June 22, more than 1,700 soldiers from the United States, Estonia, Canada, Latvia and Lithuania will take part in the international military exercise "Saber Strike 2012" in Adazi Region (central Latvia).

The goal of the exercise for the Baltic States in cooperation with the allied forces to improve the armed forces' preparedness for participation in international operations, including in Afghanistan, fostering their compatibility and improving air and ground operations' mutual integration. The exercise also aims at strengthening regional stability and security, improving the allied forces' military cooperation.