Tanks and IFVs demonstrating their fording and swimming capability at Lešť

From 22 to 29 May, training was held at the water training site of the Training Area of the Military District Lešť, with tanks, armoured assets (combat reconnaissance/patrol vehicle BRDM and Aligator) and infantry fighting vehicles overcoming water obstacles. Such fording exercises had not been held for more than nine years. They should have been part of routine training of combat units and combat support units equipped with vehicles able to overcome a water obstacle by swimming or fording. Due to the above mentioned gap, for many drivers this was the very first run. At the beginning, on 26 May, the members of the tank company of Trebišov based combined mechanized battalion, Martin based training battalion and Martin based repair and maintenance battalion of combat support brigade Trenčín forded a 140 m-long and nearly 1.6 m-deep water obstacle. On Wednesday, 27 May, the infantry fighting vehicles of Nitra-based mechanized battalion swam a 176 m-long and 3.7 m-deep water obstacle. This exercise put to the test preparedness of the engineering and reconnaissance groups, as well as preparedness of rescue and recovery service.