The National Defence Academy of Latvia (NDAL) Center for Defence Research (Center) was established in 1992 as a part of the NDAL. Since September 2012 the Center has been in a reform process with changes in personnel and operating principles. The Center was renamed Center for Security and Strategic Research in 2014.

The mission of the Center is to ensure the development of security and defense policy research as well as to raise the public awareness about these issues in Latvia.

Center carries out its mission by:

(1) researching security and defense issues and formulating policy recommendations;

(2) analyzing the development of the Latvian Armed Forces;

(3) integrating in internationally recognized academic and research environment;

(4) organizing public events (seminars, discussions, conferences) to raise the public awareness about the security and defense issues in Latvia;

(5) creating and maintaining progressive, viable and vibrant academic environment in the NDAL in order to ensure the development of the Academy and favorable environment for the educational process of the Latvian armed forces officer corps.