Continuation of cooperation between SVK and US through exercise of Special Forces

State Secretary of the SVK Ministry of Defence Miloš Koterec was present at the joint training of the SVK and US Special Forces held in the Training Centre Lešť. Altogether, 103 members of the 10th US Special Forces Group’s unit participate in the exercise, along with 56 members of the 5th Special Forces Regiment based in Žilina. Four helicopters UH-60 Blackhawks are being used during the joint training of the special operations’ forces. The exercise is primarily aimed at the drill of the joint operational and tactical procedures to be applied by the Special Forces when fighting the terrorism, countering the smuggling of the dangerous goods through the EU borders, handing over the seized material to a CBR unit for the purposes of closer examination and transportation of the same to a safe place.

The exercise is geared towards the planning, control and execution of the joint operations of the Special Forces. At the end of the year, our Special Forces should undergo certification to achieve full operational preparedness of the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) within the NATO forces with a lower state of readiness (FLR). “Slovakia has excellent training areas and facilities, which enable the troops to train under real-life conditions. That is why we are most grateful for the excellent cooperation with SVK partners,” said Norman Scharpf, Deputy Chief of Mission of the American Embassy in Bratislava, Slovakia. “The main goal of the exercise is to practice the special capability for certification, which is ahead. To this end, the exercises like this are always most useful,” added the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence. The joint exercise of the SVK and US Special Forces will be held in the Training Centre Lešť until 13 March.