Aim of Exercise Achieved
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- Date: 21.10.2014
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The military exercise Ground Pepper 2014 met the expectations and proved that the Slovak soldiers can cooperate effectively with troops from other NATO countries. This is the evaluation made by SVK Minister of Defence Martin Glváč after he watched combat firing practice in the military training area Lešť, being a part of the biggest multinational field training exercise held in Slovakia this year.
“It is one of the three exercises of the SVK Armed Forces held this year, which were not considered in a long-term plan. Hence we gain capabilities that the citizens of the Slovak republic would reasonably expect us to have and we are determined to continue organizing such exercises,” said Head of the Defence Department. He also emphasized the qualities of the training area Lešť. “It is a unique training centre and every Euro invested in said centre will be well spent,” stated the Minister and added that he would inform SVK President and Commander-in-Chief of the SVK Armed Forces Andrej Kiska, who also graced the event with his presence, on the further modernization process.
Besides combat firing, soldiers practiced liberating the captives and fighting in a built-up area. “They are real-life combat operations and the troops perform tasks pursuant to Art. 5 of the Washington Treaty. The Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic train side-by-side with the other allied troops, so they can easily see what they can do. We will assess and evaluate the lessons learned and we will do our best to translate them into training in the future,” highlighted SVK Chief of the General Staff Lt Gen Milan Maxim.
As explained by Col Martin Michalko, who was tasked with the control of the exercise, the purpose of Ground Pepper 2014 was to perform tasks on the territory of another country. “For NATO countries, being prepared and ready to operate in a completely different environment is a must. The main focus of the exercise was on protection of a state border and on forcing out the enemy from a coalition state, so that the civilian population can live in a country where they do not have to put up with foreign armies,” he said.
“It is one of the three exercises of the SVK Armed Forces held this year, which were not considered in a long-term plan. Hence we gain capabilities that the citizens of the Slovak republic would reasonably expect us to have and we are determined to continue organizing such exercises,” said Head of the Defence Department. He also emphasized the qualities of the training area Lešť. “It is a unique training centre and every Euro invested in said centre will be well spent,” stated the Minister and added that he would inform SVK President and Commander-in-Chief of the SVK Armed Forces Andrej Kiska, who also graced the event with his presence, on the further modernization process.
Besides combat firing, soldiers practiced liberating the captives and fighting in a built-up area. “They are real-life combat operations and the troops perform tasks pursuant to Art. 5 of the Washington Treaty. The Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic train side-by-side with the other allied troops, so they can easily see what they can do. We will assess and evaluate the lessons learned and we will do our best to translate them into training in the future,” highlighted SVK Chief of the General Staff Lt Gen Milan Maxim.
As explained by Col Martin Michalko, who was tasked with the control of the exercise, the purpose of Ground Pepper 2014 was to perform tasks on the territory of another country. “For NATO countries, being prepared and ready to operate in a completely different environment is a must. The main focus of the exercise was on protection of a state border and on forcing out the enemy from a coalition state, so that the civilian population can live in a country where they do not have to put up with foreign armies,” he said.
